Seized ‘ice’ worth $230K

Police say public tips lead to a Kalihi bust recovering a "huge" amount of the drug

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Honolulu police arrested a Kalihi man after seizing more than three pounds of crystal methamphetamine - estimated to be nearly 3,000 hits and valued at $230,000 - from a home Thursday.

"In my 22 years as a cop, this is the largest seizure I've ever seen by a Crime Reduction Unit," Maj. Kurt Kendro said yesterday.

Last month, Kalihi police got community tips about suspected drug dealing at the home at 1545 Ahonui St.

Police secured a search warrant, searched the home and found three pounds of "ice," $3,000 in cash, jewelry and Rolex watches.

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In his 22 years of police work, Maj. Kurt Kendro had never seen such a large amount of crystal methamphetamine in one seizure.

Romulo E. Lomboy: He is arrested after neighbors tell police of lots of traffic at a Kalihi house

Thursday night's drug seizure in Kalihi - part of Operation 8 Ball - led to the arrest of 57-year-old Romulo E. Lomboy, who was found with more than three pounds of "ice" with a value of about $230,000.

"To give you an idea of that, if a pound is 450 grams, and (a) hit can be 0.5 grams," said Kendro, the Kalihi district commander, "a pound is about 800 or 900 hits. Multiply that, that's about 2,700 hits of ice that people are selling."

Last month, Kalihi police got tips about suspected drug dealing at a home at 1545 Ahonui St. Nearby residents were reporting a lot of traffic going in and out of the property, police said.

Lomboy allegedly sold ice to undercover officers multiple times before investigators executed a search warrant at 6:20 p.m. Thursday, police said.

Police seized about three pounds of ice, including several baggies and a 2-pound brick hidden in a box of chocolates, about $3,000 in cash, several pieces of jewelry and some Rolex watches, police said.

"In my 22 years as a cop, this is the largest seizure I've ever seen by a Crime Reduction Unit," Kendro said yesterday. "This was huge."

Lomboy, who had not been charged as of last night, was allegedly selling the drugs from the back of the home, which is within 1,000 feet of Linapuni Elementary School.

He was booked on suspicion of five counts of second-degree methamphetamine trafficking, first-degree methamphetamine trafficking and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Investigators will talk to federal prosecutors next week to see whether they will pursue a case against Lomboy, because selling drugs near a school is a federal offense.

"In my 22 years as a cop, this is the largest seizure I've ever seen by a Crime Reduction Unit. This was huge." Maj. Kurt Kendro / Honolulu Police Department

Lomboy has no previous convictions and is unemployed.

Kendro said Lomboy might have moved into the home less than a year ago, but police had heard about his alleged activity only last month through tips from the public.

Last month, Kalihi police investigations led to federal indictments against 15 street-level pushers, all of whom were selling near a school or park. Tips also led investigators to those suspects.

"The community members have to say that they're not going to stand for it," Kendro said. "If they see it, the community as a group has to say, 'Look, get out of our neighborhood.'"