MANILA, Philippines — A teenaged boy and his father were arrested early Sunday morning as they were transporting more than 100 kilos of marijuana along the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group recovered 130 kilos of dried marijuana leaves worth P1.8 million from Moises Simsim and his 16-year-old son.
The two suspects were aboard a Toyota Hi-Ace van for rent with license plate ULK 915 when policemen from the CIDG, Highway Patrol Group and the Meycauayan police station intercepted them.
Chief Supt. Victor Deona, the CIDG head, said the father and son were unaware that policemen had trailed them the night before from Benguet to Balintawak.
The two residents of Benguet reportedly owned the van and were hired to transport the marijuana to Metro Manila for P15,000.
“Our informant from Benguet tipped us off to a van loaded with marijuana bound for Metro Manila, so our tipster and operatives trailed them the whole night,” Deona said.
The illegal drug was loaded onto the rental van in La Trinidad at around 10 p.m. Saturday and arrived in Balintawak at around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, where the policemen pounced on them.
Chief Insp. Elizabeth Jasmin, CIDG spokesperson, said the teenaged boy admitted to having been involved in trafficking marijuana at least three times. The boy’s mother was reportedly an overseas Filipino worker in Jordan.
“They were initially accompanied by a female companion, who got off somewhere in Tarlac and promised to pay them at the airport,” Jasmin said.
From Balintawak, the marijuana was supposed to be brought first to the Dangwa Flower Market in Manila, after which the marijuana would be brought to the airport.
The father was supposed to meet the female companion at the airport for the rental van payment of P15,000, but policemen got to him first and intercepted his illegal cargo.
The elder Simsim will be charged with violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, while his son will be turned over to social welfare workers. SFM