LIANG Yang told investigators that he was tricked by a known drug trafficker in the CNMI and Guam to receive, through mail, decorative lamps that contained liquid methamphetamine.
On Sept. 28, 2023, a criminal complaint was filed against Yang in the District Court for the NMI, charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to the complaint against Yang, on Sept. 23, 2023, while conducting a routine inspection of mail at the Chalan Kanoa post office, Customs Officer Shota Castro inspected a parcel addressed to PO Box 10003 9 PMB 481-B Saipan MP 96950.
Upon further inspection, Castro identified four boxes containing silver lava lamps inside the parcel. He noticed that one of the lava lamps appeared to be tampered with and there was a dry crystal-like substance on the lamp.
Castro then conducted a field test of the substance, which yielded a positive result for methamphetamine. The parcel and contents were then turned over to the Saipan Customs Contraband Enforcement Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The liquid substance inside the lava lamps was field tested with a Narcotics Identification Kit and TruNarc, both of which resulted in a positive test for the presence of methamphetamine.
The lava lamps and clear liquid discovered inside the package weighed approximately 2,705 gross grams. The approximate weight of the clear liquid substance included the four glass lava lamps that contained the clear liquid substance. The substance was not removed from the lava lamp for officer safety and evidence preservation, the complaint stated.
In an affidavit to support the criminal complaint and arrest warrant against Yang, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Kirk F. Johns stated that a U.S. postal inspector applied for and was granted a warrant by the District Court to install and monitor a tracking device inside the parcel.
Investigators planned to deliver the parcel and continue to conduct surveillance and monitor the package and its location.
Johns said Yang visited a mail service shop and inquired about a parcel. Yang also provided a tracking number and cell number for the mail service to call when the parcel arrived.
Yang likewise inquired about a parcel that was not addressed to him, the DEA special agent said.
On Sept. 27, 2023, an unidentified male referred to as “AA” entered the mail service shop and asked to check a post box (481-B), but he did not have a key. But AA was allowed to accept parcels delivered to the post box after it was determined that he was its owner.
AA received two parcels: a white parcel and a brown parcel.
Yang later arrived and provided a set of keys to AA for box 481-B.
As AA began to open the target parcel with scissors, Yang rushed out of the mail service shop. According to surveillance units, Yang was “almost running” to his van.
Yang was followed as he drove to the Saipan airport, and then to a Garapan area where he parked his van. He then sat on a bench and used his phone.
AA took the two parcels to Yang. When Yang picked up the target parcel and placed it into his van, both men were detained by authorities.
Through an interpreter, AA told investigators that he and Yang went together to get their box number at the mail service shop about two weeks prior.
AA stated that Yang kept the keys to both boxes ever since they got them because Yang had a car and could check the boxes more often and more easily.
AA stated that according to Yang, the two parcels picked up by AA were needed because the parcels contained passports for him and Yang that were previously located on Guam.
AA stated that a mail service employee called AA the day before and informed AA there was a package for pick up.
When asked why AA opened the parcel in the mail service shop, AA said that he wanted to know if the passports were in the parcel. AA said that the store was closing so AA waited out front and communicated via WeChat with Yang. AA said Yang told him where to meet and that Yang offered to pay him $41 for AA’s taxi fares to and from the mail service shop.
As for Yang, he told investigators through an interpreter he was expecting a bow and arrow from his friend on Guam.
When asked which box the arrows would be in, Yang stated the brown box. When asked why he did not place the brown box in his van, Yang said he was going to move the boxes one at a time and that he just moved the white box first. Yang also said that the white box was not his.
According to Yang, when AA picked up the packages from the mail service shop, AA asked for Yang’s assistance in transporting the packages because they were large.
Yang said he went to the mail service shop earlier to check if the passports had arrived, but they had not.
Yang also stated that AA contacted him and asked for keys to the box, so Yang met AA at the mail service shop to provide the keys. Yang said he gave AA the keys and left because AA wanted to open the box right there at the mail service shop.
Yang later asked investigators that he wanted to talk privately with a task force agent and the interpreter.
Yang said he was tricked by a friend — known to investigators as Batu, a notorious drug trafficker in the CNMI and Guam — to receive a parcel containing drugs.
At this point, investigators had not informed Yang that methamphetamine was discovered inside either package.
Yang said on Sept. 23, 2023, Batu, who was on Guam, informed him that he should expect packages with a phone, cup, crossbow, lantern, and passport. Yang stated that Batu provided tracking numbers to him for these packages.
Yang said Batu told him how to receive the packages and instructed him to deliver the package with lanterns based on follow-up instructions from Batu.
According to the complaint, Yang declined to allow investigators access to his three phones located in his van upon his arrest.
Upon consultation with Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert S. Flores, AA was released from custody, and Yang was transported to the Department of Corrections for further processing.
On Friday, Sept 29, 2023, Yang appeared before Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy and was represented by attorney Richard Miller.
The court informed the parties that the U.S. government filed a motion to detain.
Judge Kennedy set a detention hearing for Oct. 4, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. and a preliminary examination hearing for Oct. 13, 2023, at 9 a.m.
