Colorful bongs sit in the window of Dynasty Smokes at 160 Monmouth Street in Red Bank as police stand guard during a raid on the store. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
Uniformed and plainclothes officers could be seen throughout the afternoon in and around the store at 160 Monmouth Street, gathering and removing bags of evidence.
In a community already on edge over nationwide immigration raids, the sight of plainclothes officers and several unmarked cars sparked enough fear to keep at least some people from leaving their homes.
At Linares Grocery and Mexican Food next door, Arlette Linares said she had at least three takeout orders cancelled by people who were too fearful to come pick up their food, along with a near complete lack of walk-in customers throughout the afternoon. 
“People think they’re ICE,” she said looking out the window at the officers assembled on the sidewalk.
The law enforcement presence included officers from the Red Bank Police Department detective bureau and armed special agents with the New Jersey Department of Treasury. They could be seen inside putting materials in evidence bags and moving some to vehicles parked outside.
A neighbor said they saw a female employee taken away in handcuffs earlier in the afternoon.
Dynasty bills itself in online listings as “a tobacco and vape shop offering various products, including glass pipes, bongs and CBD/hemp products.”
It’s not the first time the shop has been targeted by law enforcement.
The store was one of three retailers charged with selling restricted products to an undergage buyer in a police sting operation in May 2023.
Additional information was immediately unavailable, with Red Bank Police Chief Mike Frazee declining to comment on what he called an “active investigation.”
If more information becomes available, we will update this story or publish additional posts.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
