Mapunapuna FBI raid ends with state eviction notice for tenant

Yahoo

31-05-2025

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Several Mapunapuna businesses are breathing a sigh of relief after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided a warehouse on Kilihau Street on May 29.
The businesses said the warehouse was a hub for illegal activity for years, and the state had been trying to evict the tenant for months.
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The FBI, Honolulu Police, Humane Society and other agencies were all seen outside the warehouse early on the morning of May 29, prompting road closures in the area.
But on May 30, businesses were happy to see the area looking cleaner than normal.
'It's been a long time coming,' said one nearby business owner Chris Waidzunas. 'It just needed to happen, the homeless thing was really bad for quite a few years.'
Businesses said they've dealt with break-ins, dog attacks, thefts, fires and cleaning up feces for years.'A lot of it was coming from the dive shop which was the catalyst and center for drugs,' said another business owner. 'People were buying and selling stolen items 24-hours a day, people were dropping off stolen items.'
The man didn't want to go on camera and fears for his safety.
'People have died in the last six months over here, and it's all connected with dive shop and that group of people,' the business owner continued.
The businesses have leases with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, which put up an eviction notice overnight for the former dive shop.
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KHON2 asked HPD how many times they had received calls for illegal activities at the warehouse but they referred us to the lead agency which was the FBI. KHON2 then asked DHHL if they knew about the illegal activities taking place, but they also referred us to the FBI.
But court documents show DHHL started efforts to evict the tenant in October 2024 for not paying rent.
The following month, HPD told DHHL they suspected an illegal gambling room on the property, and in February 2025 the fire department requested the property be secured as people were tapping into the power lines.
In March 2025, DHHL enforcement officers posted a cease and desist on the door but court documents say the tenant and others continued to access the property.
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'It's not a safe environment for us where we have bodies showing up, crazy people yelling, abusing our workers, throw things at vehicles, people throwing bricks at people the other day,' the business owner added.
According to HPD crime mapping, there have been 15 crimes reported on this corner in the last four months including stolen cars, theft, burglary, weapons, aggravated assault and property damage.
The FBI confirmed they conducted court authorized activity but could not provide details.
Businesses hope the tenants will be gone for good soon.
'Now, hopefully its done, it gets cleaned up and this neighborhood gets restored to what its supposed to be — an industrial area,' Waidzunas concluded.
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