http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x2023606517/Raid-nets-bath-salts-fake-pot
SUNBURY — Ten containers of bath salts and 61 packages of synthetic marijuana were found Friday night during a drug task force search of Penn Jersey Food Mart, the first seizure under Sunbury’s new ordinance banning the substances within city limits.
A day later, the store manager said there is confusion about when the ban took effect, and that the business hadn’t received notice of that date.
Members of the Northumberland-Montour Counties Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 10 p.m. at the convenience store at 209 N. Fourth St., acting on information that the business was selling bath salts and synthetic marijuana, or “spice,” according to a Sunbury police officer on Saturday who declined to be identified.
The search revealed “visible and hidden items,” according to a statement Sunbury police issued Saturday. In addition to the bath salts, synthetic marijuana and sales records of both, police also took 63 glass smoking pipes, 40 glass smoking stems, 36 key-chain pipes and 62 bags containing smaller plastic bags for delivery, as well as myriad other items used for smoking.
Store manager Peter Singh on Saturday said he was at the store when the task force arrived.
Among the items police took was a box from atop a walk-in cooler. Singh said he didn’t know it was there or what it contained.
Singh said he had been on vacation in India for nearly two months, returning April 5.
A value for the drugs and accessories was not available from Sunbury police. Singh also didn’t know the value.
Police told Singh they would send the materials for testing to identify the chemicals they contained, he said.
Singh said he has spoken to police about what the store sells, and “the spices we sell do not have chemicals on it,” he said.
Sunbury police had previous information that the store was selling the substances, according to the Sunbury officer.
Charges are expected, pending a meeting between task force members and Northumberland County District Attorney Anthony Rosini, according to Sunbury police.
Singh said he was unsure of the date the ban took effect.
It did so April 26.
“Some people said it’s legal to still sell,” and Singh said he was told by some officers the ban would take effect May 5.
“I went to the mayor’s office, and no one gave me any notice. ... They said you can sell until a certain date,” Singh said.
“We don’t mean to mess with any city people or the officers,” Singh said. “We like to have a business here. Give us time or something or give us notice to stop.”
The Daily Item reported March 30 that several Valley establishments — including Penn Jersey Food Mart — have been known to sell the designer drugs.
Sunbury Mayor Dave Persing went into the Penn Jersey Food Mart, “and I was informed they don’t sell the drugs,” he said in a story published March 30 in The Daily Item.
Sunbury City Council banned sales of bath salts and synthetic marijuana within city limits at its March 29 meeting, under ordinance 121-13.
In the past few months, bath salt abuse is suspected in the deaths of two Valley men.
Officers of the Sunbury and Mount Carmel police departments took part in the search. Sgt. Todd Owens of the Mount Carmel police is coordinator of the drug task force.
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