964 pounds of pot, 83 pounds of edibles and 20K vape cartridges seized in Shelby Twp bust
Evidence photo courtesy Shelby Township police Facebook page
FOX 2 - A massive black-market marijuana operation was discovered operating out of a Shelby Township residence - leading to the second-biggest seizure of illegal drugs in the police department's 72-year history.
The backstory:
About 964 pounds of black-market marijuana was recovered along with large quantities of marijuana edibles, vape cartridges, weapons and ammunition.
The suspect, Joseph Zouhair Foumia, a 51-year-old Shelby Township resident, was arrested at the residence during the raid.
The Shelby Township Police Department's Special Investigation Unit acted on information about a multi-state black market marijuana smuggling operation leading to surveillance of the residence.
By the numbers:
On March 13th, Shelby police's Tactical Response Unit worked with the DEA to conduct a search warrant with the bust uncovering:
- 964 lbs. of black-market marijuana83
- 83 lbs. marijuana edibles
- 20,300 marijuana vape cartridges
- 15 firearms
- Approximately 90 lbs. of ammunition
- $27,364 cash
Suspect Joseph Zouhair Foumia / Photo courtesy Shelby Township police Facebook page.
On March 16, 2026, Foumia was arraigned on the following charges:
- Delivery/Manufacture 45 Kilograms of Marijuana
- Delivery/Manufacture (Schedule 1,2 and 3 drugs)
- Weapons – Felony Firearm
- Possession of Analogues
- Maintaining a Drug House
- Habitual Offender – 2nd Offense Notice
Foumia's bond was set at $100,000 cash surety bond is 10%.
Evidence photo courtesy Shelby Township police Facebook page
"This bust is about more than just taking drugs off the streets — it’s about protecting families and giving our neighborhoods a chance to thrive," said Police Chief Robert Shelide in a release. "The results of this case are the product of several weeks of hard work by our dedicated officers, the Special Investigations Unit, the Tactical Response Unit, and our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"This operation removed a major supply of illicit drugs from our streets and disrupted the people responsible for distributing them."
The Source: Information for this report is from the Shelby Township Police Department.