Finance inspection leads to candy shop drug bust

A routine tax and finance inspection at a Bushwick candy shop led to a major drug bust that had investigators working overtime to collect evidence, according to police. Sources told News 12 an inspector

News 12 Staff

Jun 25, 2016, 2:16 AM

Updated 3,106 days ago

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A routine tax and finance inspection at a Bushwick candy shop led to a major drug bust that had investigators working overtime to collect evidence, according to police.
Sources told News 12 an inspector found a fake wall at Gates Candy and Grocery and called police.
Investigators entered the Gates Avenue store around 11 a.m. on Thursday and seized a large amount of drugs that appeared to be heroin and cocaine, according to officials. They also found zip lock bags and glassine envelopes. 
Two men, 46-year-old Muhammad Ali, of Manhattan, and 33-year-old Hamdan Al-Saidi, of Queens, were arrested. Both were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, drug trafficking and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. 
Early Friday, the store appeared open, and an employee told News 12 the allegations were untrue. He said the store wouldn't be open if they were. 
Prosecutors later said the store reopened without permission and told News 12 someone cut off the padlocks placed on the store's doors. The district attorney's office said employees inside were arrested, and the store has been locked up once again.