Police Seize Marijuana at Two Norwalk Smoke Shops
Norwalk police executed two search warrants at smoke shops, seizing marijuana, THC products, and untaxed cigarettes, and charged two men.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Drug Crime
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Norwalk Police Department executed search and seizure warrants at Sono Vape and Tobacco on Oct. 20 and at A-to-Z Tobacco Vape on Oct. 28, seizing marijuana and THC products. Two men were charged in connection with the seizures.
Why it matters
Police said the smoke shops were suspected of selling cannabis without the required state-issued licenses. The seizures target unlicensed cannabis sales and tax-stamp fraud in Norwalk, a city that has seen similar retail enforcement under Connecticut's cannabis licensing law.
Mohamed Ali Zaidan, 46, was charged with possession of fraudulent cigarette stamps, illegal sale of untaxed cigarette tax stamps, sale of marijuana and possession of marijuana under 8 oz, and is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 3. Abdo A. Al-Areqi, 35, was arrested and charged with sale of over 1 kg of cannabis, with a $50,000 bond set for Zaidan.
The players
Norwalk Police Department
The Norwalk Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for Norwalk, Connecticut, responsible for the search warrants and seizures at both smoke shops.
Mohamed Ali Zaidan
Mohamed Ali Zaidan, 46, is the man taken into custody at Sono Vape and Tobacco and charged with tax-stamp and marijuana offenses.
Abdo A. Al-Areqi
Abdo A. Al-Areqi, 35, is the employee of A-to-Z Tobacco Vape arrested on cannabis sale charges, who resides in the Bronx, New York.
The details
Officers found THC gummies and marijuana flower behind the sales counter at Sono Vape and Tobacco and reported that 50 cigarette packs bore fraudulent tax stamps. At A-to-Z Tobacco Vape, officers accessed a concealed compartment in a rear storage room by opening a locking mechanism operated remotely by a magnetic device, where they found additional marijuana products, Kratom, and cash.
Timeline
Oct. 13: Search warrant executed at a business where Al-Areqi was present.
Oct. 20: Search warrant executed at Sono Vape and Tobacco.
Oct. 28: Search warrant executed at A-to-Z Tobacco Vape.
Oct. 29: Al-Areqi appeared in court.
Nov. 3: Zaidan scheduled to appear in court.
Legal Context
The seizures enforce Connecticut's cannabis licensing requirements, which limit legal marijuana sales to state-licensed sellers, and the tax-stamp charges reflect the state's separate enforcement of untaxed cigarette sales. Cases like these show how local police in Connecticut apply state licensing and tax laws to retail shops selling cannabis and tobacco products.
Residents and shoppers in Norwalk may see continued enforcement at local smoke shops selling cannabis or tobacco without proper licensing or tax stamps. Anyone buying cannabis or cigarettes should confirm that the retailer holds the required state license and that cigarette packs carry valid tax stamps.
The takeaway
Retail cannabis and tobacco sales in Norwalk are subject to state licensing and tax-stamp rules, and buyers can check a seller's license status before purchasing. Enforcement actions like these show that police are actively checking shops for compliance.
What happens next
Zaidan is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 3, when his case will proceed.
Further reading
Read more Norwalk drug crime coverage for ongoing enforcement news in the city.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hartfort Courant.
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