Call center agent, teen fall in P408K drug bust

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

A call center agent and his 15-year-old alleged cohort were arrested in a police anti-illegal drug operation evening of August 3 at Molo, Iloilo City.

Ferdinand Fernandez, 21, and alias Winwin, 15, both residents of Zone 3, Barangay Boulevard, Molo, allegedly connived in selling two sachets of suspected shabu for P12,000.

When they were subsequently frisked, the suspects yielded seven more sachets of suspected shabu, a weighing scale, cash of P3,000, and aluminum foil strips.

Captain Roque Gimeno III, ICPO-CDEU team leader, said the seized drugs were valued at P408,000.

Gimeno said Fernandez was the target of the operation and he allegedly used the minor as his “runner.”

Fernandez may have been keeping a bigger volume of illegal drugs but he managed to dispose a good portion of it before he was arrested Thursday evening.

Anti-drug operatives have been keeping an eye on him after two alleged peddlers who were arrested a few months ago named him as their source.

Fernandez had no previous drug-related case but he was arrested and placed in authorities’ custody after he was implicated in a murder case when he was a minor.

He was released in June 2022 following the dismissal of his case.

On the other hand, Winwin had no record of any infractions with the police or their barangay.

But Gimeno said he was suspected of several theft incidents in the area.

Fernandez is now detained while Winwin was turned over to the custody of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.