URDANETA CITY, Philippines – Police have turned over to social welfare officers the youngest drug courier they have so far arrested – a 12-year-old girl.
Superintendent Paquito Navarrete, city police chief, described the girl, a Grade 6 pupil, as “smart and with pleasing personality.â€
“When she talks, it’s as if you are talking to a college student,†he said.
According to Navarrete, the father of the girl, the eldest in a brood of four, is behind bars also for illegal drugs.
He said the girl knew how to evade questions that would incriminate her, though she later relented during the investigation.
The girl was to deliver five grams of shabu to a poseur buyer after police earlier had arrested another drug dealer.
She is now under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. A case was filed against her in court following the procedures under Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
Her teachers were surprised about her arrest, as police conducted a follow-up investigation.