A tearful mother said her son’s life was ruined by drugs he bought from a market police say sold synthetic marijuana.
“My son’s demeanor—he was mean, he was nasty,” the woman said at the June Carrick Block Watch meeting. “It affected my whole family. My son lost his kid … my son was [buying the drug with] food stamp cards.”
Synthetic marijuana, also known as Spice and K2, is popular among teens because it’s easily found in head shops, gas stations and on the internet. Young buyers often misperceive the products as “natural” and therefore harmless, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
In Carrick, police say the alleged seller—Zach’s Market owner Ali Zoror—had about 100 buyers listed in a Rolodex found at his home.
“He ruined my kid,” the mother said of Zoror. “Ali would refer to himself as ‘the doctor.’”
Zone 3 crime-prevention Officer Christine Luffey described the May 29 bust.
“This was huge, huge,” she said. “We knew about this for three years and it finally came to a head. [Zoror] said he knew his goose might’ve been cooked because customs intercepted his latest shipment of chemicals to make K2.”
Upon arrest, Zoror told narcotics officers “he’s been doing this for years to support his gambling habit and he knew he should stop … but it was too profitable,” Luffey said.
Counter workers at the market sold the drug to customers who showed either a special ID card Zoror created or standard photo identification.
On the day of the arrest, officers spent three hours removing evidence from the store at 2625 Brownsville Road. At Zoror’s home on Saranac Avenue in Beechview, they seized 30 pounds of synthetic marijuana, 50,000 pieces of drug packaging and chemicals used to make the drug.
Zoror, 51, lived with a 19-year-old son who was also arrested. Zoror is free while awaiting trial.
When the audience asked how Zach’s could stay open after the arrest, Luffey said existing business regulations allowed it.
A resident thanked Luffey for helping evict a disruptive neighbor on Overbrook Boulevard. The officer urged anyone with complaints to keep a detailed log—dates and specifics—to give police.
Phone scams were another topic. Rup Pokharel, who often represents Bhutanese refugees, said one refugee lost $1,000. He advises checking suspicious numbers online and reporting them to police.
The July and August Block Watch meetings will be held at Zion Christian Church, 2019 Brownsville Road. Mayor Bill Peduto plans to attend the 7 p.m. July 7 meeting, taking questions for 30 minutes, according to Dan Barrett, aide to Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak.
Plans are underway for National Night Out on Aug. 5. “Any assistance you need in planning, we’re more than happy to help,” Pittsburgh Weed & Seed Coordinator John Tokarski said, noting the mayor will launch a “Safer Together Pittsburgh” campaign.
Volunteers are needed Saturday, June 14, for Leolyn Parklet Day to paint fences, plant flowers and clean up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, contact Carrick Community Council at 412-339-0808 or [email protected].
Carrick Community Council is recruiting members. Annual dues are $5, which cover materials and insurance for beautification projects and give members voting rights in council elections.
