State and federal agents swarmed an Indian smoke shop in Puyallup on Wednesday, seizing scores of items.
Agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with officers from the state Liquor Control Board, removed files, computers and boxes of cigarettes from the Indian Country smoke shop and store.
Authorities would not say why the shop was raided, and family members of the store’s owners said police were trying to destroy the business.
Officers removed one woman when she tried to interfere with the operation, they said.
“Those cops, they’re mean and ugly!” Carol Young said. “They threw me down!”
A spokeswoman from the U.S. Department of Justice would not comment on the purpose of the raid, but indicated it had to do with unpaid state and federal taxes on cigarettes and possibly other items for sale.
It’s not clear whether anyone was arrested during the seizure.
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