Clerks at four Smithfield stores were cited during an undercover operation last week.
Smithfield Police said they received a tip a juvenile was able to purchase tobacco products. Working with NC Alcohol Law Enforcement agents, police sent a person under age 18 into several stores.
The teen was able to buy tobacco products at three stores, Holley’s Open Air Market at 716 S. Brightleaf Boulevard, Cloud 9 at 827 N. Brightleaf Boulevard, and Tobacco & Vapor at 1259 N. Brightleaf Boulevard.
Jour Masshar, 31, of Pikeville, a clerk at Holley’s Open Air Market; Thomas James Quinn, 19, of Selma a clerk at Cloud 9; and Unz Fowzi Missed Almodihju, 22, of Mocksville a clerk at Tobacco & Vapor were all cited for selling tobacco products to a person under 18.
ALE agents reportedly found a clerk at the Smithfield Market at 600 S. Brightleaf Boulevard to have 11 oxycodone pills in their possession. Adel Zolkami, 45, of Selma was cited for simple possession of a controlled substance. Zolkami did not sell tobacco products to the underage informant working with police.
Police did not disclose how many additional stores were checked that did not sell tobacco items to the minor.
