APD, Homeland Security, Buncombe/Henderson Sheriff’s offices raid Octopus Garden smoke shop locations
Mountain Xpress: APD was assisting Homeland Security along with Buncombe and Henderson Sheriff’s offices, serving search warrants on Octopus Garden locations.
Storified by · Mon, Dec 17 2012 12:41:05
Authorities load up evidence seized in Octopus Garden raid; hookahs, bongs etc http://pic.twitter.com/Ty6czPHeJason Sandford
@Ashevegas if that’s their "evidence" why aren’t they in Blend Lounge right now?Joanna
RT @Ashevegas: Masked agent with evidence seized in Octopus Garden raid. http://pic.twitter.com/IiDl2b7YBlogAsheville
Just drove by Octopus Garden on Airport Rd. Police tape up, multiple parked cruisers.trifecta
Some boxes of evidence outside Octopus Garden on Patton are marked "O.G.Kush" and "Bizaro."Jason Sandford
Police boxing and loading evidence from Patton location of Octopus Garden. http://pic.twitter.com/ETmDUqNqJason Sandford
@WLOS_13 DEVELOPING: Authorities raiding several Octopus Garden stores today, seizing many items. No arrests yet. #avlnewsBryan Luhn
Police inside, and outside, Octopus Garden on Lexington Ave. http://pic.twitter.com/NFZ2JZZbJason Sandford
Lexington Avenue is abuzz. Film crew shooting at Boca, while a few doors down, federal authorities are raiding Octopus Garden. #surrealavlJason Sandford
Asheville police office standing outside Octopus Garden on Lexington Ave. referred me to US Attorneys office.Jason Sandford
Unconfirmed.
ALL Octopus Garden locations are currently being raided by DEA agents in full gear. #avlnewsBobby Patrick
Deputies and Homeland Security vests?
Looks like Octopus Garden got busted. Sheriff deputies and guys with HSI on there vests swarmed in. #avlnewsAndrew Fletcher
Lexington Avenue location closed, says one witness.
@BlogAsheville downtown Lexington Ave location. Police will only say that the store is closed right now.Andrew Fletcher
Also involved: The location on Spartanburg Highway in Henderson County.
RT @marioboone: BREAKING Now: Henderson Co deputies raid Octopus Garden smoke shop on Spartanburg Hwy.The Little~Big House
Anticipating a news conference shortly by HenCo & BunCo sheriffs on #Octopus Garden raids.Mario Boone
What’s going on with Octopus Garden? I haven’t finished my Xmas shopping. #avlnewsU. Madd Brah
The website of the Octopus Garden chain:
Tobacco Accessories Asheville, NC – Octopus Garden Smoke ShopOctopus Garden Smoke Shop offers a wide variety of smoking products in several shapes, sizes, and colors to Asheville, NC. Call 828-232…
Facebook page:
The Octopus Garden Smoke Shop – Asheville, NC – Shopping …Just to clarify things. The Octopus Garden Smoke Shop does not manufacture, own, or have any relationship (outside of selling their pro…
20 Comments
We are all victims to something. legalize pot.
[…] The Octopus Garden raids: In a classic Asheville moment, as the Food Network shot a commercial at Boca, just a few doors down Homeland Security raided the downtown location of Octopus Garden. Authorities said they were serving warrents for synthetic drugs, but removed bongs and hookahs from the Asheville location. Several other area Octopus Garden smoke shops were raided. We’re still waiting on details. […]
how come alcohol is still being sold since it is the cause of so many deaths each year from accidents to liver problems ? i know its legal but does that make it less of a problem since you say your main concern is peoples health and the problems that stuff causes. take alcohol out of stores and save thousands of lives every year but dont see you stopping the sales of it and thats because the goverment makes to much money off the tax
[…] Posted by citizenthymes on Dec 19, 2012 in Local, News With Spice | 0 comments Photo Courtesy of Ashvegas […]
Thank you Sheriff Duncan for taking this horrible poison off the streets. Now the street kids I see every day may be able to stand up without passing out and falling down. Incredible that a business like Octopus could sell this and profit from the suffering and addiction of our townsfolk. They make loads of money selling this crap, now we know who really cares about community and who cares about only profits.
(hey never sold bath salts because they DO care about the locals… Dea took the k2 (og kush and bizzaro) which is still “bad” but absolutely no where near as harmful and dangerous as bath salts when used properly & burnt in a incense tray and not smoked …. Not sure why they took the hookah tho? Blend downtown and a few other places still have and operate hookah bars … I was just in the OG and they all seemed pretty bummed about it all
Can someone verify this for me? Lots of people told me that Octopus Garden was, in fact, selling salts while other head shops in town were not. I assumed also that this was the reason for the raid.
Please, someone with knowledge of the situation, let me know.
yea but they still selling the worst drug of all and thats alcohol that cause more deaths than any drug you can name and dont give a shit if its legal doesnt change the fact that it kills so many people from liver problems to driving drunk or the kids that rapped the girl at the police house all from alcohol but the goverment makes to much money off of tax so dont matter how many dies as long as uncle sam is making his money
how many times have you watched the news and seen car wrecks and people dead from alcohol or people dieing from liver problems and the football players from hendersonville rapping that girl or any other alcohol related accident that is caused from alcohol and yes its legal but does that change the fact that it kills more people than any drug you can name so why keep selling it ? i know why cause the goverment is making all the money from tax on alcohol so it makes it ok if thousands of people die from it every year now thats sad
no the poison is still being sold every day and thats alcohol that kills way more people every year than any drug out there
Look to me like the man took far more than just bath salts, amphetamines and synthetic herb. Doesn’t lead me to think NC will join the ranks of the newly formed green states anytime soon.
Shame too, since every person with a functioning common sense knows that hemp should be grown & manufactured, specifically in this state in order to save our precious post-tobacco farmland & bring economic workforce.
Unfortunately the country seems more in tune to getting a good high rather than sustaining our planet and need for industry – but my hope is that once the herb is legal hemp won’t be too far behind. Lest you live in The South – occasionally also known as – The Stone Age. Too bad Asheville doesn’t have more stones to lead the way.
I’ll bet $$$ that it has something to do with Bath Salts. Yeah that’s right, Zombie Meth! Synthetic drugs are being taken off the streets. Thank God! People are much better off with legal highs like marijuana. (in 2 states)
They took the k2 the OG never sold that stupid balt salt shit
Pandora’s Dreams in Spruce Pine also raided today by the DEA.
Cops steal bongs, Sales at Dunkin Donuts rise
Thank god those dangerous hookahs are finally off the street!
Aw, but that purveyor of drugs was *local*.
Homeland Security Investigations
The ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) directorate is a critical asset in the ICE mission, responsible for investigating a wide range of domestic and international activities arising from the illegal movement of people and goods into, within and out of the United States.HSI investigates immigration crime, human rights violations and human smuggling, smuggling of narcotics, weapons and other types of contraband, financial crimes, cybercrime and export enforcement issues. ICE special agents conduct investigations aimed at protecting critical infrastructure industries that are vulnerable to sabotage, attack or exploitation.In addition to ICE criminal investigations, HSI oversees the agency’s international affairs operations and intelligence functions. HSI consists of more than 10,000 employees, consisting of 6,700 special agents, who are assigned to more than 200 cities throughout the U.S. and 47 countries around the world.
yea ice or who ever can you answer me one question since yall worried about peoples health how many peopl die every year from alcohol related accidents ? now thats a shame when its in the thousands but yet you keep selling it every day way to go keep up the good work maybe only a few thousand will die around new years from alcohol related accidents so the goverment can make there money on the tax of alcohol
thats the real problem alcohol
Good. That shit is so destructive.