$80K worth of ‘ice’ seized

A random check on a man who was driving without a seatbelt yielded the second biggest haul of illegal drugs so far in the CNMI—176.6 grams of “ice” worth $80,000.

Special agent Daniel Holcomb of the Drug Enforcement Administration told Saipan Tribune yesterday that the amount seized only proves that methamphetamine hydrochloride is still a big problem in the Commonwealth. Holcomb said that, according to the Department of Public Safety’s Drug Task Force, this is the second largest seizure of “ice” in the Commonwealth.

Sgt. Anthony Macaranas and Police Officer Daniel Punimata recovered the 176.6 grams of “ice” Thursday last week after they stopped the car being driven by garment worker Yong Ming Song, who was allegedly not wearing a seatbelt.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Song with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Song, an employee of Rifu Garment Factory in San Vicente, was taken to the federal court Friday morning.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson imposed no bail for the defendant and set the preliminary hearing for Sept. 22 at 9am.

Holcomb stated in his report that on Sept. 11, 2008 at 10:40pm, while Sgt. Macaranas and Officer Punimata were driving a Department of Public Safety’s patrol car along Beach Road in San Jose, they saw a white Toyota Corolla driving south.

The two officers noticed that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. As the Toyota Corolla entered the Susupe area, Macaranas activated the patrol car’s emergency light and stopped the vehicle. The two officers then saw the driver trying to put on his seatbelt.

As the driver, later identified as Song, reached for the documents requested by Punimata, the defendant was observed sweating and his hands were shaking.

Punimata asked Song if he was drinking alcohol as he smelled the strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

When the defendant admitted he had consumed alcoholic beverage, Punimata instructed him to get out of the car.

Macaranas asked Song if he has anything illegal in the vehicle to explain why he was so nervous. The defendant shook his head and said, “No.”

The officers looked inside the vehicle and found a large plastic bag with a gray duffel bag inside it. Song told the officers that he had just picked up the bag a few minutes ago from a friend in China.

Punimata opened the bag and found three Oil of Olay soap boxes that had been opened and then taped shut. The officer opened the boxes where he found 15 small Ziplock bags containing what appeared to be “ice.”

The officers arrested Song on the spot. DPS Narcotics Unit supervisor Sgt. Alfred Celes was called to the scene. Celes then contacted DEA special agents for assistance.

Holcomb said that Song claimed he just picked up the package under the bench of a bus stop—as directed by his friend, a person named Chen based in China.

The largest amount of “ice” seized in the CNMI was 370 grams when police searched a residence of a couple on Saipan in August 2002.