AUTHORITIES are hunting down a mother who allegedly converted her home into a drug den and forced her own children to snort shabu to prevent them from crying and creating noise.

The 39-year-old woman, a resident of Sitio Sitio Siphai in Bgy. Punta Princesa, Cebu City, eluded arrest during the raid.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation – Central Visayas rescued the suspect’s children, aged two and eight months old.

NBI-7 director lawyer Renan Oliva said they saved the two children after they were reportedly exposed to illegal drugs by their own parents.

Neighbors of the two children told the NBI that the minors often stay up even until dawn as they were allowed by their parents to sniff illegal drugs.

Witnesses said the mother even forced her two-year-old son to sniff shabu, calling it a lollipop, to prevent him from creating noise and disturbing her drug den operation.

“You know how violent illegal drugs are, and they are letting the children handle the drugs. It’s very abhorring, ‘yung tooter na ginagamit sa paghithit ng shabu, ginawang parang lollipop,” Oliva said.

NBI-7 operatives on Friday swooped down the drug den at Sitio Siphai following reports of the woman’s illegal activities.

A raid in another alleged drug lair at Sitio Imhai, Bgy. Mambaling on the same day resulted in the arrest of couple Ruchie Torres and Arturo Abellana, the alleged drug den maintainers.

Authorities received reports that Torres allegedly used her 16-year-old son in drug peddling.

The NBI expressed alarm over the presence of children in drug dens.

The rescued minors are now under the custody of the local Department of Social Welfare and Development office.

Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (maintaining a drug den) and violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law were filed against the suspects.