Police are on a watch out over the use of minors as couriers by drug pushers.
This after a 17-year-old boy was arrested during buy bust operation in Barangay Upper Linao of Minglanilla in southern Cebu at around 7 p.m last Thursday.
Chief Inspector Dexter Calacar of the Minglanilla police said minors are apparently now being used by drug pushers to transact drug deals in order to elude arrest, since these criminals know that minors cannot be held or charged in court.
Under Republic Act 9344, or an Act Establishing a Comprehensive Juvenile Justice and Welfare System, child above 15 years old but below 18 years old are exempted from criminal liability and be subjected to an intervention program, unless it can be proven that the minor has acted with discernment.
The minor was in the company of another male, an adult, when the police came but the adult managed to elude arrest, leaving the young man behind.
Recovered from the teenager were three small sachets containing powder believed to be shabu and P200 in mark money.
P02 Nicky Carlo Plarisan, the desk officer of the Minglanilla police, said the boy was now in the temporary custody of a municipal social worker.
Meanwhile, a wanted person who was considered to be a “high value target” involved in the illegal drug trade was nabbed by police authorities in Toledo City.
The suspect, Rommel Juarez, 28, of Barangay Matab-ang, Toledo City was arrested during buy bust operation on Thursday afternoon.
P03 Carlos Barluado of the Toledo City police said Juarez has a pending arrest warrant for another drug related case.
He said Juarez, who was one of the top ten drug suspects in the city, was found in possession of two medium size and 19 small sachets containing powder believed to be shabu.
The seized powder would be tested in the police crime laboratory to determine if these were indeed shabu.