LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles police are investigating several unlicensed marijuana shops they believe are engaging in criminal activity.
During a news conference, LAPD Deputy Chief John Sherman said he believes there are hundreds of those businesses operating around L.A.
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"We have several hundred, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 to 300, of what we believe are these unlawful and illegal establishments operating throughout the city," he said.
Authorities said a marijuana business on Laurel Canyon and Van Nuys boulevards in Pacoima has been a trouble spot for years. Police arrested three people during a raid at the shop last week, including a convicted felon who was in possession of a weapon.
"A person was operating as a security guard. That person was unlicensed. That person was armed. We recovered three firearms out of that location," Sherman said.
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Police have identified 18 businesses in the city that they suspect are associated with criminal activity.
Officials said unlawful pot operations contribute to crime in the surrounding communities.