A tip from “alert” residents reportedly led to the arrest
here on Sunday night of a former ranking leader of the Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and four of his men.
Col. Roland Villanueva, commander of the Army’s 1002nd
Brigade, said former BIFF vice chair Ustadz Mohammad Ali Tambako and his men
were tracked down and eventually captured by intelligence operatives based on
credible information earlier provided by concerned residents.
“We thank the citizens of GenSan for providing the law
enforcers — the security officers – this vital information,” he told reporters.
Villanueva did not provide further details regarding the tip
but noted that many local residents have been helping local authorities in
monitoring the presence of suspicious individuals in their communities.
Before Tambako was arrested, Villanueva said concerned
residents alerted authorities about some “new faces” and their unusual
movements.
Tambako, who was tagged as the founder of supposed BIFF
splinter group Justice for Islam Movement (JIM), and his four companions were
nabbed aboard a tricycle along the national highway in Barangay Calumpang at
past 9 p.m. Sunday.
The four other suspects were identified as Mesharie Gayak,
Datukan Sabiwang, Ali Ludisma and Abusama Guiamel.
On Monday, police operatives recovered several bomb-making
materials in a raid on a house in Dona Soledad Subdivision in Barangay Labangal
that was previously rented by Tambako.
The raiding team led by the Criminal Investigation and
Detection Group in Region 12 specifically found detonating cords, improvised
circuit boxes, blasting caps, blasting powder, switches and batteries.
The team raided another house in the same village that was
supposedly rented earlier by Tambako but found nothing.
Tambako and his companions, who yielded three handguns and
three hand grenades, were immediately flown to Manila
Ibrahim Kapina, the driver of the tricycle carrying
Tambako’s group, was initially held for questioning at the Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group-Region 12 headquarters here but was later
released.
He contended that he was not a part of Tambako’s group and
was just hired for P180 to ferry them to a destination in Uhaw, Barangay Fatima
here.
Tambako was a trusted lieutenant of BIFF founding chair
Uztadz Ameril Umra Kato and had acted as leader of the group when the latter
fell seriously ill.
He reportedly broke ties with Kato in 2013 and formed JIM
along with some of his followers.
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/03/17/army-credits-civilian-informants-for-arrest-of-ex-biff-leader/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.