NEW CUMBERLAND — The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the WV Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, WV Tax Division, Hancock / Brooke / Weirton Drug Task Force, and the Weirton Police Department, recently performed a two-day operation on county businesses.

According to a press release issued Tuesday, this included compliance checks as well as underage and undercover purchases of hemp products at multiple locations throughout Hancock County.

These checks revealed violations at multiple locations prompting search warrants to be obtained and executed.

As a result of this operation, the following locations throughout Weirton on March 24 included Weirton Tobacco and Vape, 3613 Main St.; Vaporize Smoke Shop, 241 Three Springs Drive; and three Pennsylvania Ave. establishments: Novelty Plus, GhotraBrothers and Bogeys Parlor and Hotspot.

The press release reads that an additional search warrant was executed by the Hancock / Brooke / Weirton Drug Task force at Star Smoke Shop, 264 Three Springs Drive in Weirton.

The search warrants resulted in the seizure of illegal and unregistered products and U.S. currency. These locations are currently under further investigation by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and charges are pending.