Nearly 1,000 pounds of marijuana seized in drug bust

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A man from Shelby Township has been charged following what officials are calling the second-largest seizure of illicit drugs in the Shelby Township Police Department’s 72-year history.

Earlier this year, the Shelby Township Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit reportedly received information regarding a multistate black-market marijuana smuggling operation operating out of a residence in Shelby Township.

Undercover detectives conducted surveillance of the residence for several weeks before the department’s Tactical Response Unit, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, were able to execute a search warrant at the home on March 13.

During the search, officers recovered 964 pounds of black-market marijuana; 83 pounds of marijuana edibles; 20,300 marijuana vape cartridges; 15 firearms; approximately 90 pounds of ammunition; and $27,364 in cash, according to Shelby Township police.

Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide said the bust is about more than just taking drugs off the streets.

“It’s about protecting families and giving our neighborhoods a chance to thrive,” he said in a prepared statement. “The results of this case are the product of several weeks of hard work by our dedicated officers, the Special Investigations Unit, the Tactical Response Unit, and our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration. This operation removed a major supply of illicit drugs from our streets and disrupted the people responsible for distributing them.”

During the raid, Joseph Zouhair Foumia, 51, of Shelby Township, was arrested at the home. He was arraigned in 41A District Court March 16 on charges of delivery of 45 kilograms of marijuana; delivery of Schedule 1, 2 and 3 drugs; felony firearm; possession of analogues; maintaining a drug house; and habitual offender. His bond was set at $100,000.

Foumia’s attorney, Michael Kemnitz, could not be reached for comment by press time.

A probable cause conference is scheduled for March 30, and a preliminary exam is set for April 6.