(UPDATED) - Two foreigners suspected to be members of the terror-linked Islamic State were arrested in Taguig City more than a week ago, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II announced Thursday afternoon.
The arrest for the first time confirmed earlier suspicion that the militant group, responsible for deadly attacks in key cities around the world, had reached the Philippines.
In a press conference, Aguirre presented to the media suspected ISIS members Husayn Al-Dhafiri, a Kuwaiti national, and Rahaf Zina, a Syrian national. Zina claims to be the wife of Al-Dhafiri.
Bureau of Immigration officials arrested the two on Mar. 25 on 28th Street at the upscale Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
The suspects are now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Intelligence reports from the Armed Forces of the Philippines showed that Al-Dhafiri has been involved in explosives manufacturing and was possibly on "operational planning against Kuwait," Aguirre said.
Al-Dhafiri "has links to terrorism and is believed to pose a threat to the national security of the Philippines," Aguirre said, citing information from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
He is known to have used aliases the aliases Warsh Al-Kuwaiti and Abu Muslim Al-Kuwaiti.
Aguirre said the BI's Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines conducted the operations based on FBI intelligence.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente meanwhile said he has received reports that the two suspects traveled to Cebu and Davao in January this year, where they had stayed for three and four days respectively.
He added that the two suspects made "many" trips to the Philippines in 2016, and that the Kuwaiti government had cancelled Al-Dhafiri's passport.
Morente said the two suspects used the earlier mentioned names in their passports when they entered the Philippines. The names were not on a lookout bulletin at the time of their entry, Morente added.
The two suspects failed to present any immigration document during verification at the BI Main Office, Aguirre said.
The justice chief said the two will be charged on the basis of immigration laws as they are not properly documented. Deportation procedures will then follow according to Aguirre.
The female suspect was brought to a hospital following the arrest for medical examination as she claimed that she is pregnant.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/06/17/bi-officers-nab-2-suspected-isis-members
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