The owner of a plant store in Lewiston is facing aggravated drug trafficking charges after a search of the property by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) resulted in the seizure of a large amount cocaine, crack cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy) from the business.

The MDEA says they had been investigating possible illegal drug trafficking throughout the greater Lewiston-Auburn area by Lewiston resident and business owner Sami-Luqman Muhammad.

Muhammad is the owner of The Garden of Via, a plant nursery at 260 Lisbon St. in Lewiston.

State business records list Muhammad as the registered agent for “Via the Hub LLC” since 2022, which is doing business under the assumed name The Garden of Via.

According to the MDEA, over the course of their investigation, agents were able to make undercover purchases of cocaine directly from Muhammad.

On Monday, April 14, MDEA agents executed search warrants at Muhammad’s residence on 52 Webster St., and at The Garden of Via, where several of the undercover drug purchases are alleged to have occurred.

Agents seized approximately 150 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine, as well as a large amount of MDMA from Muhammad’s Lisbon Street nursery.

Additional evidence of drug trafficking and $2,600 in suspected drug proceeds were seized from Muhammad’s Webster Street residence.

Muhammad was taken into custody without incident during a traffic stop after agents observed him leaving his Webster Street residence.

He was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in Schedule W drugs, one count for cocaine, and one count for the MDMA.

Muhammad was transported to the Androscoggin Jail where his bail was set at $20,000 cash.

“Additional charges are forthcoming related to the investigation. The aggravating factors of the charges is due to the amount of drugs seized,” the MDEA stated Thursday.

The MDEA was assisted in their investigation by the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments, the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).