14-year-old girl ‘bigtime’ pusher

CEBU, Philippines - Operatives of the City Intelligence Branch could not decide what surprised them more; the fact that they had just arrested a 14-year-old suspected drug pusher, or that the suspected pusher was found with almost P6 million in suspected drugs.

The 14-year-old girl was arrested during a buy-bust operation in Balaga Drive, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, Friday night.

After the arrest, Inspector Gomersendo Mandawe, CIB deputy chief, said he was surprised to see how much shabu was inside the girl’s rented room.

He said the buy-bust operation was conducted after CIB received numerous reports from the suspect’s neighbors that from time to time they see different suspicious people in Balaga Drive. They believed the suspect was engaged in illegal activity and called the CIB.

After two weeks of surveillance, the CIB found out that the suspect is indeed involved in the selling of drugs and negotiated to buy a big pack of shabu.

After the P1,100 marked money changed hands, CIB operatives stepped in to arrest her. Mandawe said he thought that she was just a small-time drug pusher until they discovered how much shabu was in her rented room.

“Na-sorpresa mi kay pagtan-aw namo daghan kaayo ang mga shabu nga naa sa iyang kwarto,” he said.

In all, CIB operatives in cooperation with Punta Princesa Police Station personnel recovered 13 big packs of suspected shabu including the drugs subject to the buy-bust. They also recovered a large zip lock plastic bag containing suspected shabu that had yet to be repacked and a digital weighing scale.

“Nag-abang siya og kwarto sa second floor, naabtan pa nga nagbahig, nagtimbang duna pay daghan nga wala matiwas,” he added.

Mandaue said the shabu is believed to be worth around P5.9 million based on Dangerous Drugs Board estimates, but he said it could also be worth more than P6 million once sold in the street considering that they have significantly curved the supply of drugs in the city.

Police also recovered the suspect’s cellular phone containing messages from her possible customers and suppliers.

Trouble youth

In an interview, the suspect, who was accompanied by her mother in the police station, she said she ran away from home and decided to live on her own because her mother beat her up often, an accusation her mother has denied.

The minor also admitted to selling drugs and that for in every shipment she can get P1,000.

Mandawe said the suspect told them that she gets her supply from Barangay Pasil but he said this is still subject to verification.

“Ang estorya niya bangga-bangga ra…sa iyang estorya sa Pasil niya gikuha ang shabu,” he said.

“Kaning bata kuwang sa attention, badlongon, milayas ni sa balay tuig na wala mouli,” he added.

The suspect told the police she is willing to cooperate in their investigation.

Mandawe said drug lords like to use persons below 15 years old in their business since they are not likely to be considered drug suspects and because children 15 years and below are exempt from criminal liability. 

He said based on their intelligence reports some drug personalities on their list are now either laying low or have moved to another location after a series of police operations. —/BRP (FREEMAN)