Copiague grocery sold tobacco, liquor to minors, cops say

Suffolk County police said they shut down a Copiague grocery and arrested an employee of the store Friday, saying the business was promoting gambling and selling tobacco and alcohol to minors.

Responding to community complaints and using an underage police agent, Babylon Town authorities shut down Flame Grocery Inc. and charged employee Mohammad A. Iqbal, 39, of Central Islip, with selling alcohol and tobacco products to a person under 21, promoting gambling and possessing gambling devices.

Iqbal was also charged with having a disorderly premise and possessing concentrated cannabis, police said.

The Town of Babylon Quality of Life Task Force issued 13 building, fire and code violations to the business, and condemned and closed the store.

Authorities conducted a similar inspection at another business, using an underage police agent who purchased alcoholic beverages and cigarettes at McDollar Express on Great Neck Road in Copiague, police said.

An employee of that business, Mevlut Cil, 38, of Bay Shore, was issued a field appearance ticket on a charge of selling alcohol and cigarettes to a person under the age of 21, police said.

By Craig Schneider

craig.schneider@newsday.comScraigo

Craig Schneider is a Long Island native and Stony Brook University alumnus. He joined Newsday as a general assignment reporter in January 2018 after 20 years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.