Loose Cigarette Sales Lead to Marijuana Charges for Six in Englewood

Loose Cigarette Sales Lead to Marijuana Charges for Six in Englewood

By Mary K. Miraglia

HACKENSACK, N.J. (May 22, 2017) — Four Bangladeshi men who worked together in an Englewood chicken restaurant were arraigned on third degree possession of marijuana charges after an investigation into the sale of “loosies” cigarettes led police to them.

Arraigned May 22 before Judge Christopher Kazlau were Naeem Bahadar, 30; Imtiyaj Hossain, 24; Rubel Hossain, 36; and Joshim Uddin, 30. The two Hossains live in Brooklyn while Bahadar and Uddin live on West Englewood Ave., Englewood.

Six men altogether have been arrested as a result of an Englewood police department investigation into sales of the individual, untaxed cigarettes. When police arrived at the restaurant to investigate, they asked for and received permission to search the premises which turned up more than an ounce of marijuana. So all six were charged with possession.

The State has alleged that the men would purchase cigarettes in bulk from southern states, where they run around $6 a pack, then break them up and sell them for a dollar each — netting a profit of about 70 percent, at the restaurant where they worked.

The remaining defendants, Farid Ahammad, 38 and Mahfooz Khan, 39 will be arraigned at a later date. Ahammad is from Brooklyn and Khan lives at the same address on West Englewood Ave.

All four were offered an opportunity to plead guilty to disorderly persons possession of marijuana, a minor charge, and to pay fines only. However, Kazlau warned each of the men that they face deportation because all are in the country illegally.

“It’s very important that you speak to an attorney regarding immigration consequences,” the judge said.

None were charged with illegal sale of cigarettes without paying the appropriate state taxes, even though the cigarette sales caused their arrests.

Defense attorney Ron Bar-Nadav of Hackensack, who represents Uddin, said none of the men speak English and they didn’t understand they were breaking laws by selling loose cigarettes. They were provided the services of a Bengali interpreter for the court hearing. The marijuana was at the restaurant, Bar-Nadav said. None of the men who worked there knew it was on the premises, and gave police who were investigating the cigarette sale permission to search the premises.

Not guilty pleas were entered for all defendants. In addition to Bar-Nadav, Imtiyaj Hossain is represented by Attorney Dominik Succardi of Hackensack, Rubel Hossain is represented by lawyer David Fronefield of Fort Lee, and Bahadar’s attorney is attorney Gary Daniels of Mount Holly. The men will be back in court June 12.