Arms cache seized from arrested members of a criminal gang in Omar town in Sulu. Courtesy of Police Regional Office-ARMM
A leader of a criminal gang linked to the Abu Sayyaf bandits was captured while a follower was killed in an encounter in Sulu, security official said.
Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the police and military forces from the Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS) also recovered cache of firearms, crew-served weapons, including heavy machine gun and assorted ammunitions.
Galvez said the troops of JTFS chief Col. Cirilito Sobejana and the police conducted the raid to arrest Saudi Hamja, leader of the criminal gang in Barangay Capual Island off Omar town about 5:08 a.m.
Chief Supt Reuben Theodore Sindac, regional police director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said the leader of the wanted gang, Suadi Kahil Hamja, and four of his followers were nabbed after a firefight with combined police and military teams sent to arrest them for various crimes, including arson and drug trafficking.
One of Hamja’s henchmen, Ardin Akar Paling, was killed while another, who was identified as Nong Haliludin, was wounded in the ensuing exchange of gunfire.
A villager named Norherma Galamaddin was wounded in the crossfire, now confined in a hospital.
The police and military forces recovered from Hamja’s group a crew-served caliber, .50 heavy machinegun, 60mm mortar and 36 assorted firearms, including seven M14 rifles, five Garand rifles, eight M16A1 rifles, four M653 baby Armalite rifles, two M79 grenade launchers, an AK47 Kalashnikov rifle, a Belgian made FN FAL (Fusil Automatique Leger), three caliber .30 carbine rifles, two M79 launchers, a caliber .22 rifle and hundreds of assorted ammunitions.
The military believed Hamja’s group could be among those providing the Abu Sayyaf group with firearms and ammunition.
“Our forces will continue the operations and support the police on the ground in its law enforcement operations against various lawless elements,” Galvez said.
He said the military recently encountered the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group in the same area.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2017/03/30/1686044/abu-sayyaf-linked-gang-leader-nabbed-sulu
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