A cooperative eight-month effort among three county sheriffs and state law enforcement has shut down four vape stores in Jesup, Ludowici and Blackshear.
Wayne County Sheriff Chuck Moseley reported Wednesday that his office, along with the Sheriff’s Offices in Pierce and Long counties and with the cooperation of law-enforcement officers of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, executed eight simultaneous search warrants on Sept. 21 at the four vape stores owned by Yemeni nationals in the three cities.
The sheriff’s report says that all the stores were selling illegal items and that vehicles, weapons and contraband products were confiscated. Vapes, or electronic cigarettes, are being used with a variety of substances, some of which are illegal and some legal, and some states are pursuing registration of the various products, according to news sources.
“This case once again proves that Georgia's sheriffs work tirelessly to protect their citizens, and their cooperation with the Georgia Department of Agriculture has made Pierce, Wayne, and Long counties safer places to live,” Moseley said. “Cooperation between sheriffs and state agencies is paramount in stopping complex criminal organizations like this one.”
Moseley’s report said that the case is still under investigation, but several arrests have already been made, with others likely as the case unfolds.