Officials: Brooklyn pair charged after cops find 4 tons of illegal weed

Two Brooklyn men were charged Wednesday after police seized four tons of illegal marijuana and other drugs found in a Queens warehouse.

A search warrant served Tuesday by the Queens District Attorney's Office at the warehouse followed an investigation that began in August with the NYPD and New York City Sheriff’s office.

Authorities said they searched the warehouse, located at a storefront event space on Little Neck Parkway in the Floral Park section of Queens, at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, Police found about 8,000 pounds of marijuana products as well as crystal meth and other substances, including psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient found in magic mushrooms, prosecutors said.

Police arrested the two Brooklyn men near the site Tuesday. Awad Aziz, 31, and Muneer Kassim, 34, were both charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of hallucinogens, stimulants and two counts of criminal possession of cannabis, according to court records.

Both men pleaded not guilty during their arraignment in Queens Criminal Court late Wednesday. They were ordered by a judge to return to court Nov. 12 and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said.

"The proliferation of illegal cannabis shops in our neighborhoods are supplied by large warehouse operations without any oversight or regulations in place," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. "We are targeting these locations to prevent dangerous, unregulated and untaxed products from being sold in our communities. My office stands resolute in cracking down on the illegal production and sale of recreational drugs in our neighborhoods."

Police also found a separate area near the warehouse where prosecutors said concentrated cannabis products were made by pressing the cannabis plants to extract liquid before loading the substance into plastic cartridges, prosecutors said. The cartridges are commonly used for vaping marijuana.

The drugs were seized by police and taken away in two dump trucks.

Albert Dayan, a Queens attorney representing both men, declined to say whether his clients owned the building where the drugs were discovered.

"My clients maintain their innocence," Dayan said. "The officers had a search warrant after seeing people walking in and out of the premises with boxes. They’d have to establish if my clients were knowingly involved in handling this contraband."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.