Two Large Cigarette Seizures In Pocomoke City - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. - During routine traffic stops on Thursday, one local police agency made two large cigarette seizures, in one day.

Pocomoke City Police says that they pulled over a vehicle on Route 13 for speeding. During the stop, police asked the driver, Yossef Dahan, 59, of New York, if they could search the vehicle, because there were large cardboard boxes in the back, covered with trash bags, with cigarettes poking out.

Officers reportedly found, 380 cartons of untaxed cigarettes, along with $2,000 cash. Police arrested both Dahan, and his passenger, Ofer Biton, 41, of Israel. Both are charged with transportation of untaxed cigarettes, and contraband possession with intent to deliver.

Later on that same day, police say they got a tip about a car transporting cigarettes. When they tracked it down on Route 13, the vehicle was driving under the speed limit, which was slowing the speed of traffic, leading to officers to pull it over. During the stop, police say that there were a large amount of untaxed cigarettes, in plain view, on the back seat.

They arrested the driver, Lion Forst, 43, of Pennsylvania, and charged him with transportation of untaxed cigarettes, and contraband possession with intent to deliver. Police searched the vehicle later, and found 481 cartons of untaxed cigarettes.