THE U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, with the NMI Drug Enforcement Task Force, on Wednesday executed a search warrant issued by the federal court and seized 1.6 pounds of methamphetamine, an undetermined amount of cash, and two handguns with ammunition from an accused drug dealer staying at a hotel.
On Friday, the defendant, Shou Qui, also known as Ike, appeared in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service before Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy of the District Court for the NMI for an 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 court appointed attorney David Banes on a limited basis to represent Qui in the initial hearing and detention hearing as the defendant’s financial affidavit had yet to be submitted. Betty Bai was also appointed as interpreter for the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth Backe appeared for the federal government.
Judge Kennedy scheduled a detention hearing for Jan. 19 at 9 a.m. and a preliminary hearing for Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m. before remanding Qui to custody.
In his affidavit in support of criminal complaint and arrest warrant, DEA special agent Kirk F. Johns said a room on the 6th floor of Hyatt Regency Saipan was under their surveillance before they executed the search warrant on Jan. 12, 2021.
A woman, later identified as a companion of Qui, was observed coming out of the hotel room and heading to the front desk where she paid for another room on the 3rd floor.
She then went back to the hotel room on the 6th floor. Later she was again observed leaving the room on the 6th floor and this time going to the room on the 3rd floor.
When the woman headed back to the room on the 6th floor later in the afternoon, the DEA special agent with a CNMI Customs officer identified themselves and showed their badges.
The DEA agent said the woman, identified as Juhua Wang, tried to close the door on them as they attempted to enter the room.
Inside the room, Qui was found hiding in the bathroom, but he was secured without incident, the DEA agent said.
As he was patted down, Qui was found to possess two Ziploc bags containing a white crystal-like substance, approximately 5.7 grams, in his right-front pocket.
In the same room, the DEA agent said they found a firearm, a Raven Arms .25 auto-pistol and five rounds of ammunition, a large amount of cash, and about 4,900 Ziploc-style bags.
The agents likewise seized a U.S currency counting machine, two scales, a Western Union receipt, used glass pipes, and two cell phones.
The room’s safe was also searched but was found empty.
In the room on the 3rd floor, agents seized a large amount of cash, a container with suspected methamphetamine residue, a glass pipe, a scale and a cell phone.
In the room’s safe, agents found 1.3 pounds of methamphetamine in three large Ziploc bags, an 8mm GAP handgun with three rounds of 9mm ammunition and 28 rounds of .25 auto ammunition.
According to the DEA agent, Qui’s father was also staying in the room.
Qui, in a freely given statement to the agent through an interpreter, stated that all the illegal items found in the rooms are his and that the woman 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.
Qui also said that “he has more local customers than anyone on island.”
Asked about the guns, Qui said they were given to him by one of his suppliers, adding that that they were “for protection…because I deal with locals in Saipan and I am scared somebody is going to rob me.”
He said he had been staying in the hotel for the past six months, but only rented another room “a couple of days ago.”
No other information about the defendant was available as of press time Monday evening.
