Taimoor Cheema (Jail photo)
TEMPLE (March 7, 2013)-- Taimoor Cheema, 38, the owner of a Temple tobacco shop, was in federal custody after a raid on his store in February during which K-2 and spice products valued at nearly $12,000 were seized.
K-2 and spice are among the names for synthetic forms of marijuana.
Temple police arrested Cheema Wednesday on a federal warrant charging possession with intent to sell the illegal synthetic marijuana.
In early February, Temple Special Investigations Unit officers and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized 299 packages of synthetic marijuana after serving a federal warrant at the Smoke Bazaar at 403 Van Dyke Drive in Temple.
The synthetic pot had a retail value of nearly $12,000, police said.
Authorities also seized all of the paraphernalia in the shop that “could be used to ingest the illegal substance,” police said.
It was valued at $20,000.
"Through their combined efforts and their hard work they were able to get enough probable cause and draw up that search warrant and the case isn't closed with just an arrest--it's an ongoing investigation," Temple police Cpl. Christopher Wilcox said Thursday.
