At least P1 million worth of suspected shabu were confiscated from an 18-year-old resident of Cebu City during a buy-bust operation conducted in Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City at about 3:35 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, 2022. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — His desire to earn easy money pushed Davisrise Espinosa, 18, to join the illegal drugs trade.
But instead of living a good life, Espinosa could end up spending years in jail if convicted for the possession of suspected shabu worth at least P1 million.
Espinosa, a resident of Buhisan in Cebu City, was arrested by Talisay City police in a buy-bust operation that was implemented along the road in Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City at dawn on Saturday, March 26, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of the Talisay City Police Station.
“Ang iyaha kwarta, accordingly, kalisod sa kinabuhi…Wala na nag skwela,” Caballes said.
(He just wanted to earn money because of his poverty. He is no longer in school.)
During their investigation, Caballes said, they learned that Espinosa has been working as a drug courier even when he was still a minor.
Espinosa was tasked to do big deliveries starting December 2021, he added.
Caballes said Espinosa did not have any police record since it was his first time to be arrested during the buy-bust operation on Saturday.
They placed him under surveillance for two weeks before they finally planned the buy-bust operation.
“Careful kay siya kay ang pagconduct og buy bust sige lang tag transfer transfer og venue. Ang meet up ani nga lugar then cancelled, then change to another venue nasad,” he said.
(He is very careful with what he does the reason why we also had to keep on transferring the venue of our buy-bust operation. We are able to schedule a meet up in a particular place but it will then be cancelled and transferred to another venue.)
When he was finally arrested Saturday night, Talisay police confiscated 150 grams of suspected shabu worth P1 million from the suspect’s possession.
Caballes said Espinosa would source his supply from a resident of Barangay Pasil in Cebu City. But the alleged supplier could no longer be found in his home during their follow up investigation.
“Ang iyang source is personality nga naa sa Barangay Pasil nagpuyo. Naa napod tay identity aning iyang source although wala siya sa iyahang balay pag verify nato. So hopefully pag malocate nato siya,” he added.
(His source is a personality who resides in Barangay Pasil. We already identified the source but he was no longer in his house when we verified. But hopeful, we will soon be able to locate him.)
Caballes said Espinosa is considered a high-value individual who is able to dispose 200 to 300 grams of shabu per week.
Meanwhile, Caballes said that the use of minors in the illegal drugs business is not a pressing concern in their city.
Aside from going after the illegal drugs trafficker, they also hold education campaigns wherein they visit communities to speak to the children and their parents about the ill effects of illegal drugs use.
They do this in coordination with the religious sector, he added.
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/ dcb