Suspected ‘ice’ trafficker arrested

A man who was arrested in May 2015 for alleged possession of methamphetamine or “ice” was apprehended again last Saturday in Dandan, this time for alleged “ice” trafficking.

CNMI Drug Enforcement Task Force officers served an arrest warrant on Ignacio Deleon Guerrero Demapan, also known as Ike, for trafficking and illegal possession of a controlled substance.

At yesterday’s hearing, Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo imposed a $100,000 cash bail on Demapan and set the preliminary hearing for Dec. 11 at 1:30pm.

Assistant public defender Cindy Nesbit was appointed as counsel for Demapan. Assistant attorney general Chester Hinds appeared for the government.

CNMI DETF officer Maridel Tudela Camacho stated in her report that they conducted an investigation last Nov. 16 against Demapan after they received information that he is selling “ice” inside his blue car.

That same day, Camacho said, their cooperating source managed to buy $180 worth of “ice” from Demapan in the parking lot of a barbecue stand in As Lito.

The cooperating source was able to buy again $40 worth of “ice” from the defendant during the second transaction in the parking lot of a store in Chalan Kanoa last Nov. 28.

The cooperating source was supposed to buy $180 worth of “ice,” but Demapan allegedly stated he only had $40 worth of crystal meth.

In May 2015, police arrested Demapan after he was allegedly found in possession of “ice” in his car in Chalan Kanoa.

The Office of the Public Defender, counsel for Demapan, then questioned the legality of the warrantless search of the defendant’s car. There was no available information as of yesterday whether the case is still pending or not in court.