Police to file raps against rescued teenager caught with P1.7M shabu

A 17-year-old boy (with a blue towel) is rescued by the Cebu City police during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Punta Princesa in Cebu City on Saturday, November 6, 2021. His alleged 30-year-old cohort was also arrested. | Photo courtesy of CCPO-CIU

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are planning to file illegal drug charges against a 17-year-old boy, who was “rescued” during a buy-bust operation on Saturday, November 6, in Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City.

This after they caught the teenager, who is on the police regional watch list of drug personalities; and a cohort, a 30-year-old e-bike driver, Reggie Delos Santos, with an estimated P1.7 million worth of suspected shabu during the operation.

The rescued teenager and his cohort are from Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, Cebu City Police Office City Intelligence Unit (CCPO-CIU) chief, said they would get a certificate of discernment from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and after which they would turn over the teenager to the Operation Second Chance, which is a juvenile facility for children in conflict with the law.

Caballes said that for now the teenager was in the custody of the Women and Children Protection Desk of the CCPO.

Caballes described the teenager as one who could allegedly dispose a kilo of shabu in two weeks.

He also said that the boy would allegedly sell the illegal drugs while his cohort, Delos Santos, would be the one to allegedly collect the payment of the illegal drugs.

Caballes also identified the uncle of the teenager as the supplier of the illegal drugs.

He said that the uncle of the teenager had allegedly a contact inside the Cebu City Jail who allegedly would help the uncle to get his illegal drugs supply.

Caballes said that an operation to arrest the uncle was ongoing.

He said that the teenager’s market for his illegal drug trade would cover Barangay Pasil in Cebu City and its neighboring barangays.

He said during last Saturday’s buy-bust operation they confiscated 255 grams of suspected shabu from the rescued teenager and his cohort, which had an estimated market value of P1,743,000.

With the rescue of the teenager, Caballes said they would intensify their information drive on illegal drugs where they would encourage the parents to look after their children so that they would not be entangled in illegal drugs.

He said that this would be their thrust especially since they had rescued four to five minors since January this year who were exploited by illegal drug personalities and used as “disposers” of illegal drugs.

He said illegal drug personalities were using minors because they observed that law enforcement agencies were not focusing on this trend.

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