Members of the CNMI Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested on Monday an ex-convict and his girlfriend for alleged conspiracy to sell methamphetamine or \u201cice\u201d on Saipan. <\/p>\n
Denmar E. Malabanan, 28, was arrested for two counts of trafficking of a controlled substance, two counts of illegal possession of a controlled substance, one count of trafficking of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school zone, and one count of conspiracy to trafficking.<\/p>\n
Malabanan was arrested on Monday, but was then temporarily released after he agreed to cooperate with authorities. Lawmen, however, re-arrested him Tuesday for allegedly not cooperating with them.<\/p>\n
Emma Victoria A. Iriarte, 25, was arrested for one count each for illegal possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to trafficking of a controlled substance.<\/p>\n
At a hearing Tuesday, Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio imposed a $100,000 cash bail each on Malabanan and Iriarte.<\/p>\n
Assistant public defender Tillman Clark was appointed as counsel for Malabanan. The court appointed Vincent J. Seman as counsel for Iriarte. Assistant attorney general Heather Barcinas appeared for the government. <\/p>\n
Preliminary hearing will be on Nov. 3 at 9am.<\/p>\n
Task force investigator Roque K. Camacho stated in his report that he along with other members of the task force and Drug Enforcement Administration, met a cooperating source last Sept. 8 to prepare a \u201cbuy-walk\u201d operation to purchase $40 worth of \u201cice\u201d from Malabanan.<\/p>\n
Camacho said Malabanan instead sent his girlfriend, Iriarte, who handed a baggie of \u201cice\u201d to the cooperating source.<\/p>\n
Camacho said the cooperating source did not believe that the \u201cice\u201d was worth $40, prompting Iriarte to bring the cooperating source to Malabanan\u2019s house in Chalan Kanoa.<\/p>\n
Malabanan, through the window of his house, allegedly handed two baggies of \u201cice\u201d to the cooperating source.<\/p>\n
Camacho said the seized 0.7 gross grams tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.<\/p>\n
Camacho said their cooperating source managed to buy $40 more of \u201cice\u201d from Malabanan outside the cooperating source\u2019s house in Chalan Kanoa last Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
Camacho said the seized 0.4 gross grams of substance tested presumptive positive for the presence of methamphetamine. <\/p>\n
Task force agents subsequently searched Malabanan\u2019s house. The report did not mention if drugs were seized from his house. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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