DETROIT – A flower shop on Detroit's east side was raided Wednesday as officials continue a massive bust involving dangerous chemicals and possibly drugs.
The investigation into the operation happening on the east side and in Royal Oak is spearheaded by Homeland Security. Neighbors said they were told by agents to stay away from the area due to dangerous chemicals.
The former flower shop on Conner Street near Gratiot Avenue was the third spot raided by federal officials in what's shaping up to be a massive bust.
"It's troubling," neighbor Leslie Graham said. "Put it like this: It's troubling because something is going on."
What exactly is going on, federal agents won't say. But they were in full hazmat gear Wednesday when they entered the former Conner Park Florist. They arrived with a warrant in connection to an ongoing criminal investigation.
Neighbors were told to stay a safe distance away due to the dangerous chemicals inside the building.
"Anybody is at risk that would come in contact with it," Graham said.
The flower shop closed this location more than 18 months ago, and within the last three months, neighbors spotted several cars and SUVs coming and going at all hours of the night.
"You never know what's going on in the neighborhood until you see what happened just then," Graham said.
The investigation includes several neighborhoods, including Royal Oak.
On Wednesday morning, federal agents originally raided the Affordable Lab on Crooks Road. Special agents from the same Homeland Security task force spent a good portion of the day there.
With help from state police and local agencies, they also swooped into a house on Manistique Street on Detroit's east side. Federal gang unit agents brought out boxes of evidence.
"Now everybody's going to know what's going on because it's on the news," Graham said.