3 arrested in Tampa smoke shop bust, Hillsborough sheriff says

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- Three people are facing felony charges after a weeks-long undercover operation at a smoke shop in Tampa, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. The investigation began in January after HCSO received an anonymous tip about Exotics Smoke Shop, Kava & Hookah, located on North Florida Avenue. In March, an undercover deputy visited the store and purchased 7 grams of marijuana and a pack of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) pills. 7-OH is a psychoactive compound found in the kratom plant. Florida classified the drug as a Schedule I controlled substance last August, when Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson referred to it as "vape shop morphine." The deputy tested the products after making the purchase and confirmed they contained synthetic cannabinoids and 7-OH, prompting the issuing of a search warrant on the business. On Saturday, March 21, the search warrant was executed, and deputies seized large amounts of marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids, as well as over 100 7-OH tablets and $11,000 in cash, HCSO said. Three people were arrested in the operation: 21-year-old Abdallah Abdel-Kader, 22-year-old Mohammad Al Youssef, and 19-year-old Samantha Gerts. All three were charged with possession of a controlled substance and delivery of a controlled substance within 1000 feet of a church, due to the vape store being next to Celebration Church. Gerts, who was also found to have three fake IDs in her purse, was additionally charged with three counts of fraudulent use/possession of counterfeit IDs.