More than 5,000 items seized in drug paraphernalia bust

LAUDERHILL, Fla. - Acting on complaints from parents, the Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) and the U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., seized more than 5,000 items of drug paraphernalia on Wednesday from the Broward County, Fla., Swap Shop.

HSI special agents along with the BSO Pompano Beach Selective Enforcement Team and Strategic Investigations Division were enforcing federal drug paraphernalia laws and seized 5,691 items from 11 vendors in violation of U.S. Code Title 21, Section 863.

BSO received numerous complaints from parents saying that middle school kids, who cannot legally buy cigarettes, were purchasing drug paraphernalia from Swap Shop vendors. While conducting the seizure, three minors went to one of the vendors hoping to buy pipes. Swap Shop management cooperated fully with this operation.

Included in the items seized were pipes hidden in highlighters and pipes disguised as lipstick and key chain flash lights.