MORE WOMEN GETTING INTO DRUG TRAFFICKING

MORE women are getting involved in the male-dominated illegal drug trade - a
development closely being watched by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
and the Philippine National Police.

"Drug syndicates are employing more women couriers and dealers to elude
suspicion by authorities and it's becoming a trend nowadays," said PDEA
Metro Manila Regional Office director Senior Superintendent Orlando M.
Mabutas.

Mabutas, however, said males continue to dominate the illegal drug industry.
Only 10 percent of suspected drug traffickers and users being held in
different jails and rehabilitation centers in the country are women,
statistics show.

"Kasi pag lalake ang pusher, mas suspicious kaya nag-eemploy na ang mga
sindikato ng mga babaeng dealer para mas madali silang makabenta. Karaniwan
nga, mas malaki pang makipag-deal ang mga babae kasi di masyadong halata,"
he said.

The latest female suspect to be arrested by PDEA agents was Jennifer
Zaragoza, a 27-year-old jobless resident of Lorenzo Street in Pandacan,
Manila. Zaragoza was arrested by a team of undercover agents from the PDEA
Special Enforcement Service led by Senior Inspector Jaime Santos while
selling 40 grams of shabu to an undercover agent on Zamora Bridge in Parcel,
Sta. Mesa 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Santos said they recovered the drugs and the P88,000-marked money paid to
the suspect by the poseur. Santos said they were still conducting follow-up
operations to arrest the source of the shabu being peddled by the suspect.

Charges will be filed against the suspect who is now detained at the PDEA
jail in Quezon City.

The PDEA also announced the arrest of a marijuana trafficker in Bulacan who
sold more than 150 grams of the dangerous drug to an undercover agent of the
PDEA Region 3.

Supt. Jerome Baxinela, PDEA Central Luzon chief, identified the suspect as
Willam B. de Guzman,37, a resident of Barangay Canujas, San Miguel, Bulacan.
He said that his men recovered the marijuana and P500 marked money paid by
the poseur during the entrapment operation at Sitio Mandamutag, Bgy. Camias
in San Miguel last Tuesday.