Dagupan drug pushers using minors as couriers

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines  – Police authorities are alarmed over the use of minors by big-time drug pushers, with the arrest the other day of a 12-year-old boy in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bonuan Binloc here.

Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr., Dagupan police chief, told The STAR that the arrested minor, who hails from Marawi City, told police he was working for at least four big-time drug pushers in the city.

A police poser-buyer seized from the boy 0.1 gram of shabu and two other sachets of less than one gram of the illegal drug.

According to the boy, he earned P100 or more in each transaction, depending on the value of shabu being sold.

Caramat said there are eight or nine other minors employed as couriers by six drug pushers in the city, disposing of at least 20 grams of shabu each day or an equivalent of five bulto. A bulto consists of five grams of shabu worth P36,000.

Caramat said drug pushers prefer to use minors who, if aged 15 and below, can escape prosecution based on the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, posing a great problem to police authorities.

From January to September this year, Caramat said they had arrested 32 young offenders – 22 boys and 10 girls – for drug pushing, robbery (akyat bahay) and other crimes.

Police have filed charges against the 12-year-old before the city prosecutor’s office. “The burden of proof about his age is now with the arrested suspect,” Caramat said.

Last Monday, Muslim leaders in the city signified their intention to sit down with police authorities to discuss the illegal drug problem and how to deal with it.