Meth den uncovered at local hotel

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, in collaboration with the NMI Drug Enforcement Task Force, uncovered a meth den at the Hyatt Regency Saipan after executing a search warrant for a room belonging to man believed to have been involved in selling methamphetamine.

Last week, over 1.6 lbs of methamphetamine was uncovered in two rooms at the Hyatt Regency Saipan that was being rented by Qui Shou, also known as Ike, for the past six months.

Qui was brought before U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy last Friday for his initial hearing. Qui was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (methamphetamine), and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The defendant was ordered to return to court today for a detention hearing at 9am and again on Jan. 27 at 1:30 pm for a preliminary hearing.

Aside from the large quantity of meth found in his room, the DEA also found two handguns with ammunition, a large amount of cash, over 4,000 small ziplock baggies, and a few glass pipes with residue that tested positive for methamphetamine.

According to court documents, DEA special agent Kirk F. Johns said that a room on the sixth floor of Hyatt Regency Saipan had been under surveillance for the past few months before they executed the search warrant on Jan. 12, 2022.

On that day, Wang Juhua, later identified as Qui’s companion, was seen coming out of the hotel room before heading to the front desk where she paid for another room on the third floor.

After paying for the rooms, Wang went back to the hotel room on the sixth floor. She was later observed leaving the room and was headed for the room on the third floor.

Sometime later, when Wang was seen headed back to the room on the sixth floor, DEA special agents and a CNMI Customs officer identified themselves and showed her their badges.

The DEA agent said that Wang, after officers followed her and attempted to enter the hotel room, tried to close the door on them.

After a short struggle, the officers got in and searched the room where they found Qui hiding in the bathroom. There, the officers placed Qui under arrest.

Following a pat down, Qui was found with two Ziploc bags containing a white crystal-like substance that weighed approximately 5.7 grams. The substance later tested positive for methamphetamine.

In the same room, Johns said they found a Raven Arms .25 auto-pistol and five rounds of ammunition, a large amount of cash, and about 4,900 Ziploc-style bags.

In addition, a U.S currency counting machine, two scales, a Western Union receipt, used glass pipes, and two cell phones were also found in the room.

Meanwhile, in the room on the third floor, agents seized a large amount of cash, a container with suspected methamphetamine residue, a glass pipe, a scale, and a cell phone.

When asked for the code to the room’s safe, Qui initially lied about the code but after being threatened that Wang and his father, who was also staying in the room, would be placed under arrest, he gave the agents the right code.

In the safe, officers found 1.3 lbs of methamphetamine in three large Ziploc bags, and an 8mm GAP handgun with three rounds of 9mm ammunition and 28 rounds of .25 auto ammunition.

Qui, through an interpreter, told the agents that all the illegal items found in the rooms are his and that Wang and his father had nothing to do with them.

Qui said he was mainly supplied by two people who would give him between 100 grams and 500 grams, depending on his sales.

In regards to the handguns, Qui said they were given to him by one of his suppliers for protection.