Community
Tobacco retailer inspections lead to arrest for sales of a controlled substance.
On Saturday, March 14, 2026, members of the Simi Valley Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team (SET) conducted random tobacco retailer inspections throughout the City of Simi Valley.
During an inspection at 2 AM Smoke Shop, located at 1226 Los Angeles Ave., officers located and seized a large quantity of flavored tobacco products prohibited for sale in California. During the inspection, officers also discovered the business was openly selling psilocybin mushrooms, a felony violation of California Health and Safety Code section 11378. Rajpreet Deol (37 years), a resident of Los Angeles, who was the sole employee responsible for the business at the time of the inspection, was arrested for the violation and booked at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
An inspection was also conducted that same day at Cig Store #5, located at 660 Los Angeles Ave., where additional flavored tobacco products were found and seized.
On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, members of SET, along with representatives from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), conducted additional inspections at The Exotic Smoke Shop, located at 2902 Cochran St., and Hookah Valley, located at 1230 Madera Rd. During those inspections, hundreds of flavored tobacco products were located and seized.
On November 8, 2022, California voters upheld Senate Bill 793 through Proposition 31. The law prohibits tobacco retailers, as well as their employees or agents, from selling, offering for sale, or possessing with the intent to sell most flavored tobacco products, including flavored e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, and tobacco flavor enhancers. California later enacted AB 3218 and SB 1230, effective January 1, 2025, to strengthen enforcement and close loopholes in the flavored tobacco law. These laws also grant the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, local law enforcement, and other agencies the authority to seize prohibited flavored tobacco products from retailers and wholesalers, with penalties of $50 per package. Additional information is available on the California Department of Justice website at: https://oag.ca.gov/tobacco/flavorban.
These operations, as well as prior enforcement efforts conducted within the city, were made possible through the California Department of Justice Tobacco Grant Program. On October 16, 2024, the Simi Valley Police Department was awarded a $194,250 grant through this program, which was adopted by the Simi Valley City Council on November 18, 2024.
The Simi Valley Police Department’s SET team is part of the Special Enforcement Bureau and was established as a crime suppression team focused on addressing a variety of crimes throughout the City. Its responsibilities include enforcement related to lewd or dissolute conduct in public, human trafficking, Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) investigations and compliance assessments, street-level narcotics activity, warrant service for wanted individuals, and gang enforcement.
The Simi Valley Police Department thanks the community for its continued support and partnership in helping keep the City of Simi Valley a safe place to live and enjoy. The Department encourages residents to report suspicious activities, which may be done anonymously. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Department’s tip line at (805) 583-6984 or through Crime Stoppers of Ventura County at (805) 494-8255.
During an inspection at 2 AM Smoke Shop, located at 1226 Los Angeles Ave., officers located and seized a large quantity of flavored tobacco products prohibited for sale in California. During the inspection, officers also discovered the business was openly selling psilocybin mushrooms, a felony violation of California Health and Safety Code section 11378. Rajpreet Deol (37 years), a resident of Los Angeles, who was the sole employee responsible for the business at the time of the inspection, was arrested for the violation and booked at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
An inspection was also conducted that same day at Cig Store #5, located at 660 Los Angeles Ave., where additional flavored tobacco products were found and seized.
On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, members of SET, along with representatives from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), conducted additional inspections at The Exotic Smoke Shop, located at 2902 Cochran St., and Hookah Valley, located at 1230 Madera Rd. During those inspections, hundreds of flavored tobacco products were located and seized.
On November 8, 2022, California voters upheld Senate Bill 793 through Proposition 31. The law prohibits tobacco retailers, as well as their employees or agents, from selling, offering for sale, or possessing with the intent to sell most flavored tobacco products, including flavored e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, and tobacco flavor enhancers. California later enacted AB 3218 and SB 1230, effective January 1, 2025, to strengthen enforcement and close loopholes in the flavored tobacco law. These laws also grant the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, local law enforcement, and other agencies the authority to seize prohibited flavored tobacco products from retailers and wholesalers, with penalties of $50 per package. Additional information is available on the California Department of Justice website at: https://oag.ca.gov/tobacco/flavorban.
These operations, as well as prior enforcement efforts conducted within the city, were made possible through the California Department of Justice Tobacco Grant Program. On October 16, 2024, the Simi Valley Police Department was awarded a $194,250 grant through this program, which was adopted by the Simi Valley City Council on November 18, 2024.
The Simi Valley Police Department’s SET team is part of the Special Enforcement Bureau and was established as a crime suppression team focused on addressing a variety of crimes throughout the City. Its responsibilities include enforcement related to lewd or dissolute conduct in public, human trafficking, Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) investigations and compliance assessments, street-level narcotics activity, warrant service for wanted individuals, and gang enforcement.
The Simi Valley Police Department thanks the community for its continued support and partnership in helping keep the City of Simi Valley a safe place to live and enjoy. The Department encourages residents to report suspicious activities, which may be done anonymously. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Department’s tip line at (805) 583-6984 or through Crime Stoppers of Ventura County at (805) 494-8255.
Address/Location
Simi Valley Police Department
3901 Alamo St
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-583-6950