Five Smoke Shops Robbed by Same Crew - NYPD Says

Cops Looking for Robbery Crew Targeting Smoke Shops

The NYPD is searching for a robbery crew that has hit five smoke shops throughout Manhattan and the Bronx. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein
Manhattan Voice

January 23, 2024

MANHATTAN - A group of smoke shop robbers hit a fifth time in Manhattan and the NYPD has released new video in an attempt to capture them. 

The latest robbery took place at 9 am on January 15 in Soho. At the time, a 22-year-old female employee was working inside Soho Convenience Smoke Shop on Broome Street when a group of males entered the store. 

Cops said members of the group jumped over the counter and forcibly removed marijuana products off the shelves. The crooks hopped back over the counter and ran out of the store in an unknown direction. 

Investigators have linked this latest theft to four other smoke shop robberies.

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The first robbery took place on December 26. At around noon, a 19-year-old employee was working at the Blue Cookie Smoke Shop on the Lower East Side. Cops said a group of males entered the store with hammers, mallets and a handgun. 

The crew forcibly removed a box of marijuana products before fleeing. No injuries were reported.

The crew struck again on January 11. At around 3:40 pm, the crew walked into a smoke shop on the Avenue of the Americas. One of the crew displayed a knife to the 26-year-old worker. They then forcibly removed a box of marijuana products valued at $1,500.

Cops said the same crew upped the violence during their next robbery. At around 12:30 pm on January 14, the crew walked into Moon Stage Smoke Shop on Lexington Avenue. 

Cops said members of the crew jumped over the counter and punched the 23-year-old worker. They forcibly removed the victim’s cell phone and then ran out of the store.

Hours later the crew struck a smoke shop in the Bronx. At around 7 pm, three members of the crew walked into a smoke shop on Gun Hill Road. 

Members of the crew hopped behind the counter and pushed the 53-year-old worker out of the way. The crooks proceeded to remove $2,000 in cash and $3,000 in store merchandise.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

All calls are strictly confidential.