Pa, teen son yield P1.8-M ‘pot’
A MAN and his teenage son have a lot of explaining to do to authorities in Camp Crame, Quezon City, over their cargo of dried marijuana leaves. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
A TEENAGER and his father were arrested on Sunday morning on the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City, for transporting P1.8 million worth of drugs in their van.
A joint team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Highway Patrol Group and the Meycauayan police seized from Moises Simsim, 37, and his 16-year-old son 130 kilos of dried marijuana leaves.
Father and son, both residents of Benguet province, were in their van when they were intercepted by the police around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday in Balintawak. They were expecting to be paid P15,000 in exchange for bringing the drugs to Metro Manila.
CIDG head Chief Supt. Victor Deona said the duo was unaware that the police had been following them since Saturday night.
“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 added.
The contraband was loaded into the Simsims’ van in La Trinidad, Benguet, around
10 p.m. on Saturday. They arrived in Balintawak on Sunday morning where the policemen pounced on them.
According to Chief Insp. Elizabeth Jasmin, CIDG spokesperson, the teenage boy confessed to being involved in trafficking marijuana at least three times. His mother was reportedly working abroad.
“They were initially accompanied by a female companion, who got off somewhere in Tarlac [province after promising] to pay them at the airport,” Jasmin said.
From Balintawak, the marijuana was to be brought first to the Dangwa Flower Market in Manila. After that, father and son were to bring it to the airport where they were supposed to meet the woman who would give them the P15,000.
The elder Simsim will be charged with violating Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 while his son will be turned over to social welfare workers.
