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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, December 11, 2003

Video store searched for drugs

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Federal drug agents and Honolulu police raided a 24-hour adult video business today on Kapi'olani Boulevard.
Law enforcement officers raided Swing Video on Kapi‘olani Blvd. early this morning and detained eight people.

Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

The raid at Swing Video, 1340 Kapi'olani Boulevard, Suite 102, occurred at 8 a.m. and targeted alleged drug activity reportedly involving crack cocaine. Six men and two women were seated on the ground outside of the shop with their hands bound behind their backs as officers searched the business.

A rented U-Haul truck for collected evidence was parked nearby.

Robert "Bobby" Aiu of the Drug Enforcement Administration refused comment on the raid. He said Ed Kubo, the U.S. Attorney for the Hawai'i District, would hold a press conference.

Swing Video has been targeted for drug activity before. Since moving to the Kapi'olani Boulevard location after its downtown operation was shut down by federal marshals in February 1999, Swing Video has been raided by Honolulu police at least 10 times because of community complaints of drug activity.

In December 1998, then-U.S. Attorney for Hawai'i Steven Alm filed a federal suit to close down three Chinatown businesses — Swing Video, Dave’s Amusement and Amy’s Place — at the corner of North Hotel and Smith streets that he described as drug havens.

Federal marshals in 1999 seized the building where the businesses were housed and closed them. The seizure capped a four-year battle against alleged drug activity at the location which began with a Honolulu police raid in 1995.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com