Buy-bust operation launched to arrest 13-Year-Old selling Shabu in Cauayan City, Isabela

Isabela, Philippines – Instead of studying or doing schoolwork at home, a 13-year-old boy was out selling suspected illegal drugs in Cauayan City, Isabela.

According to local media reports, the teenager became the subject of a buy-bust operation conducted by anti-narcotics operatives on Thursday evening, October 16, in Barangay San Fermin.

The 13-year-old was arrested after transacting with an undercover operative and selling a small sachet containing a substance believed to be shabu. Authorities also recovered from his possession ₱500 in marked buy-bust money, aluminum foil, writing paper, and a cigarette pack.

Following the operation, the minor underwent a medical examination at the Cauayan District Hospital before being brought to the Cauayan City Police Station for documentation. He will later be turned over to the Cauayan City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for appropriate intervention and counseling.

According to the 2024 Statistical Analysis of the Dangerous Drugs Board, most drug personalities first tried using illegal drugs during their teenage years—particularly between 15 and 19 years old.