14-year-old runaway rescued from Pasig drug den; 3 nabbed for shabu

MANILA — Three men were arrested and a 14-year-old girl was rescued in Pasig City early Tuesday morning in a drug bust operation, which yielded more than P60,000 worth of shabu.

Suspects Jamir Abdullah, William dela Cruz and Ramon Bautista were arrested by members of the Eastern NCR Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) after they sold nine sachets believed to contain methamphetamine hydrochloride to a police poseur buyer at around 2:20 a.m. on Tuesday.

Chief Insp. Rommel Macatlang of the Eastern NCR CIDG said that the suspects were caught inside Bautista’s two-story house at 3rd Street, Kenneth Megaville II Subdivision in Barangay Pinagbuhatan.

He added that apart from the nine sachets worth P6,500 that were recovered from the suspects, they also found inside the house four packets of suspected shabu estimated to be worth around P62,000, drug paraphernalia, a cal. 38 revolver and 14 live bullets.

Macatlang said that when they raided the house, they found and rescued a 14-year-old girl, who claimed that she was neither abused by the suspects nor tasked to be a drug runner. The teenager who ran away a few months ago from her family in Pasay City told police that she was just bunking with the suspects.

Despite being caught redhanded of selling illegal drugs, the suspects denied that they were drug dealers and insisted that they were only drug users.

Macatlang said that a case of possessing and selling illegal drugs and possessing drug paraphernalia would be filed against the suspects. They will also be charged with possessing illegal firearm and ammunition, while the teenager will be sent to the local social welfare office.  SFM