DOC scores year’s biggest drug bust

Customs Division scored the biggest drug bust of the year when its agents seized from two Japanese tourists some 40 grams of crystal metamphetamine or “ice” with a street value of $60,000 shortly after noon Tuesday at the Saipan International Airport.

Masanobu Miyamoto and Takayuki Kaji have been charged with Count One, Conspiracy to Import a Schedule II Controlled Substance and are facing from five to 14 years of imprisonment.

A third suspect and purported mastermind, Masakazu Imamura, is also facing the same charges after Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Kaji pointed to him as the source of the cache of illegal drugs. (See related story on page 3)

According to Customs Director Jose Mafnas, the two Japanese were apprehended after members of the Customs Enforcement Team performed a routine search on them.

Customs agents inspected Mr. Miyamoto’s belongings and body searched him which led to the discovery of approximately 39.6 grams of the illegal substance which was strapped on his waist.

The search on Mr. Kaji, on the other hand, yielded a large quantity of empty ziplock baggies, which according to Assistant US Attorney John J. Rice is commonly used in packaging crystal methamphetamine for sale in the black market.

After being arrested by Customs agents, Mr. Miyamoto agreed to cooperate with authorities and signed a Japanese language rights waiver form and provided information.

He said Mr. Imamura hired him to smuggle the drugs into Saipan and in exchange for the favor he would be paid $8,000.

Mr. Miyamoto also revealed that prior to their trip. he and Mr. Imamura traveled to island but did not carry drugs during that time. It is likely that the first trip was some sort of familiarization tour for Mr. Miyamoto.

Mr. Kaji seconded his fellow suspect’s claims and avowed his innocence saying that he only begun to suspect when he saw Mr. Imamura handed over empty ziplock baggies to Mr. Imamura, which in turn were placed inside his bag.

The two suspects also agreed to have their calls to Mr. Imamura bugged and the controlled conversation further revealed that Mr. Imamura was indeed the brains behind the illegal drug smuggling activity.

The alleged mastermind Imamura was arrested by combined forces of the Division of Customs and DEA only after securing a warrant from District Court Chief Judge, Alex R. Munson.

Together with Mr. Miyamoto and Kaji, Mr. Imamura is now detained at the local facility at the Department of Public Safety but soon will be transported to the federal prison in Guam.

They are scheduled to appear before Judge Munson’s courthroom this morning at 9:30 am.

The three traveled together on Japan Airlines Flight 949 originating from Kansai, Japan. According to Attorney Rice and Director Mafnas, authorities have long kept an eye on Mr. Imamura and his and his companions arrest is a culmination of effective cooperation between the Customs Division and the federal agency.