A smoke shop that has been the site of numerous complaints, a raid, and an attempted robbery has closed.
The Auburn Smoke Shop on 67 Franklin Street has seemingly shut its doors for good.
A raid in February 2022 saw over 18-thousand illegal items seized from the shop, including marijuana, untaxed cigarettes, and flavored vape products. As a result, the shop’s owner, Mahamad Algamal, and property manager, Zakarya Alharbi, were arrested.
Michael Clardy was convicted of attempting to rob the shop with a gun on New Year’s Eve 2021.
Hearings were scheduled for the Nuisance Abatement Committee’s meeting for March and last December; however, the December hearing was tabled as the smoke shop was set to vacate the property in February. With the store’s apparent closure, a hearing was not held.
City Counsel Nate Garland suggested a hearing for the property be set for next month’s meeting in the event that the shop reopens.
The March meeting can be viewed on the city’s website.
