Smoke shop raid leads to drug charges for Albany man

An Albany man was arrested after a smoke shop was raided in the city of Rensselaer.

Officers from Rensselaer Police and the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office searched Steam Fog Smoke Shop on Columbia Turnpike at around 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Several flavored nicotine vapes were being sold out of that location, police said. In addition, they also found scales and packaging, Suboxone patches, around 16 grams of methamphetamine, nearly 13 grams of crack cocaine containing fentanyl and cash.

Ali Shokias, 22, was charged with three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count of criminally using drug paraphernalia.

He was arraigned in Rensselaer City Court.