COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 26 January) – Police and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao arrested on Thursday night a newly wed couple in this city for allegedly selling shabu (crystal meth).
Then incoming Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa explains Oplan Tokhang (toktok-hangyo or knock and plead) on a national scale during a press conference at SM City Davao on June 2, 2016. Oplan Tokhang is an anti-drug campaign that dela Rosa started when he was the police chief of Davao City. MindaNews file photo by Toto Lozano
Director Juvenal Azurin, PDEA-ARMM regional director said the suspects, both 15 years old, were the subjects of a buy-bust operation close to midnight Thursday in Purok Krislam, Poblacion 2.
He said the suspects yielded 18 sachets of shabu.
The husband, “Tho”, not his real name, reportedly said he was forced to sell shabu to pay for the expenses for their wedding held three days ago.
Islam allows the marriage of minors or children under certain conditions.
Tho, a tricycle driver, reportedly admitted he was just new to selling shabu and could earn 20 pesos per sachet.
Asked where he got his stocks, he said “these were old stocks from friend who was apprehended by police authorities.”
He has stopped schooling while his wife, who is two-month pregnant, is still in high school.
Azurin said the main target of their operation was Alias Daga who managed to escape.
“The minors are cohorts of Daga after they conspired to sell five sachets worth 500 pesos to the confidential asset of our narco agents,” he said.
Seized from the couple were the 500-peso marked money, shabu paraphernalia and 18 packs of suspected shabu.
They will undergo a dental checkup before their endorsement to the Department of Social and Welfare Office as minor offenders.
But PDEA will still file a case against the couple for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera/MindaNews)