Friday, April 11, 2008 Man uses child as drug courier
A 46-year-old father was arrested by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 in a buy-bust in Barangay Lorega, Cebu City last Wednesday afternoon.
Apart from facing charges for allegedly selling of shabu, suspect Nestor Tejas, who resides in Sitio Camansi, Lorega will also be facing a case for violation of the Child Abuse Law (Republic Act 7610) for allegedly using his 12-year-old son as drug courier.
Tejas, who was presented during a news conference yesterday, admitted selling shabu but denied he had been into the illegal drug trade for a long time.
He said it was his first time to sell illegal drugs after a neighbor gave it to him for selling.
He also did not expect that he will be cited for child abuse for bringing his son in the illegal drug trade.
The pack of suspected shabu, weighing about 50 grams, was valued at P500,000 at P45,000 to P50,000 per five grams.
Supt. Rex Derilo, CIDG7’s special operations team chief, told reporters the operation against Tejas was launched after his team received a tip about the suspect’s alleged illegal drug activity.
Surveillance
For several days, Derilo’s team placed Tejas under surveillance and gathered information that could be used in filing charges against him.
According to information gathered by Derilo’s team, Tejas has been selling shabu for some time. He allegedly uses his son (name withheld for being a minor) in selling drugs.
The team set up the entrapment past 5 p.m., Wednesday in Barangay Lorega after SPO2 Delfin Bontuyan, who posed as a buyer, managed to close a deal with Tejas and pretended to order 50 grams of shabu.
In Lorega, Derilo’s team, who were on board a tinted vehicle, spotted Tejas standing together with his son, who was carrying a plastic bin containing rooster pellets.
Bontuyan, who boarded a taxicab, arrived in the area and proceeded with the transaction with Tejas.
When Bontuyan handed over the buy-bust money, Tejas allegedly instructed his son to take out the illegal drugs sealed in one big plastic pack that was concealed in the pellets placed in the plastic container.
Chase
Tejas took the shabu from his son and handed it over to Bontuyan.
At this instance, Derilo’s team immediately rushed up to Tejas. A brief chase ensued after Tejas reportedly attempted to escape, leaving his son behind.
The boy was turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Police filed charges of violation of Section 5 (selling shabu) of Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165, a non-bailable offense, and violation of R.A. 7610 against Tejas.
In Carcar City, government agents arrested a couple and seized from them five packs of shabu in a buy-bust operation Wednesday night.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 identified the suspects as Efren Gellica, 38, and his wife, Manolita, 36, of Sitio Tapal, Barangay Guadalupe, Carcar City.
PDEA 7 staged the buy-bust amid reports that Efren, an alleged level two illegal drug peddler, could dispose of at least 50 grams of shabu per week.
Lawmen arrested Efren after he reportedly handed a pack of shabu to a poseur-buyer in exchange for P300 buy-bust money, said PDEA 7 Assistant Information Officer Jessie Tabanao.
When frisked by PDEA operatives, Efren reportedly yielded four more packs of shabu placed in a matchbox and a tinfoil. They also recovered the P300 from the suspect’s wife.
At P300 per pack, the street value of the seized shabu was P1,500.
Efren strongly denied that he was engaged in the illegal drug trade. He said a person, whom he did not know, merely left to him the stuff five months ago, Tabanao said. (JST/GC)
