'Hives of corruption': Fairfax County police chief takes aim at vape shops after drug bust

Father, sons charged in vape shop drug operation in Fairfax County

Police say they’ve broken up a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating out of vape shops in Northern Virginia. So far, the bust has led to three arrests, and calls to get vape shops under control. FOX 5's Josh Rosenthal has the details. 

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - Police say they’ve broken up a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating out of vape shops in Northern Virginia.

So far, the bust has led to three arrests, and calls to get vape shops under control.

Big picture view:

This was a big operation involving more than a dozen search warrants. 

One of those warrants was served at the vape shop that was back open on Wednesday night. 

According to Fairfax County Deputy Chief Fred Chambers, this involved "the entire Fairfax County Police Department, there wasn’t a bureau or a section that did not participate in these simultaneous search warrants all at one time."

The operation:

Police announced on Wednesday that on March 18, those search warrants were served at 13 vape stores, two storage units, one vehicle and one warehouse in Fairfax County, as well as at three homes in Prince William County.

They say they seized a vehicle and confiscated a range of illicit substances, including hundreds of pounds of marijuana, about forty pounds of suspected mushroom-infused gummies, unknown pills, suspected prescription medications and even synthetic urine, which police say could be used to beat drug tests.

Ultimately, a father and two sons were arrested. The men are Omar, Saleh, and Saed Salim. Investigators say they own the vape shops.

All are now charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Dig deeper:

Investigators say this case actually started in 2024 when they were tipped off by community members.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis also spoke about vape shops in general, saying the county now has more than 100 of them, that they’re frequently the center of illicit activity and that he believes something needs to be done legislatively to rein them in.

"I would describe tobacco vape shops as dens of ill repute and hives of corruption," Chief Davis said. "Tobacco vape shops have snuck up on us, and we didn’t even realize it. It’s a regional challenge. It’s regional. It’s not just Fairfax County."

 FOX 5 spoke with a man who identified himself as Saleh Salim. He told me the same lawyer is representing all three defendants, and he’d get me in touch with him. So far, we have to hear back.