POLICE TACTICS QUESTIONED IN DRUG BUST AT AB STORE

ATLANTIC BEACH - A three-city crackdown on shops, including the 4:20 Superstore in Atlantic Beach on Thursday, raised questions about police search tactics.

Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration executed search warrants to look for drug paraphernalia at Mr.  Natural in Columbia, Purple Haze in Greenville and 4:20 Superstore in Atlantic Beach.

DEA agents, the Horry County Police narcotics unit, the Atlantic Beach Police narcotics unit and the North Myrtle Beach canine unit raided the 4:20 Superstore Thursday afternoon looking for items such as glass pipes, water pipes, bongs, cocaine-based kits and urine kits, said Mark Moore with the U.S.  attorney's office.

Moore would not comment Thursday on whether authorities found anything in the store.

However, two shop employees were charged with possession of a controlled substance found on them and in a car.

David Wilkes, owner of 4:20 Superstore, seemed confused about authorities looking for drug paraphernalia in his store because he says he does not sell pipes or bongs, only items such as T-shirts, posters, shot glasses, incense, beads and jewelry.

The North Myrtle Beach canine unit also used a drug-sniffing dog to search the vehicles of people who pulled into the parking lot of the 4:20 Superstore during the authorities' search Thursday.

"If people entered the parking lot after this search was done, there will be a serious problem with searching them," said Denyse Williams, executive director of the S.C.  affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union.  Williams also said a search or arrest like this is questionable and could be probable cause for action.

Moore, who said he was not sure if people's vehicles were searched, would not comment about such action.

The parking lot search comes at a time when the Supreme Court is considering whether the use of drug-sniffing dogs by police during routine traffic stops violates motorists' privacy or their Fourth Amendment rights.

The crackdown on three shops was part of a nationwide initiative to reduce the sale and manufacturing of drug paraphernalia.  The search of the 4:20 Superstore came after an employee at the store sold drug paraphernalia to an undercover agent in March, Moore said.

No federal arrests were made Thursday, but state charges were brought against two employees of the 4:20 Superstore and another person for possession of marijuana and/or a controlled substance.

--- Remainder snipped due to the use of names of individuals charged, but not yet found guilty of drug crimes.