
NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- An overnight break-in at an unassuming warehouse in Queens on Thursday led police to 18,000 pounds of cannabis products, authorities said Friday.
The products—worth about $5 million—were discovered inside a warehouse at 2nd Street and 26th Avenue in Astoria, according to the NYC Sheriff's Office.
Officers from the NYPD's 114th precinct uncovered the unlicensed cannabis operation while responding to a reported burglary around 3 a.m. Thursday.

When officers got to the scene, they encountered two men carrying large bags packed with over 100 pounds of cannabis flower, authorities said. They were both arrested.
That was just the tip of the iceberg. A search warrant allegedly uncovered 18,000 pounds of cannabis and related merchandise in the warehouse, including THC honey and two machines for making vape pens.
"Everything was boxed and labeled, and basically ready to go," said Lt. Francesca Rosa, of the NYC Sheriff's Office.
"When we find machines like that, where they're visibly making their own product, we absolutely don't know what they're putting inside of these vape pens," Rosa said.
She said licensed stores sell quality-controlled and tested products.

The products seized Thursday were likely headed for unlicensed stores, which the city has been cracking down on recently under "Operation Padlock to Protect."
Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul said last week that more than 1,000 unlicensed shops had been shut down in the state, including over 750 shops in New York City. Nearly 12,000 pounds of illegal cannabis has been seized, they said—showing just how big the alleged operation in Astoria was.