Woman accused of being terror fund facilitator arrested in Sulu

From Rappler (Feb 15, 2024): Woman accused of being terror fund facilitator arrested in Sulu (By JOHN SITCHON)

The woman is identified as a ‘specially designated global terrorist’ by the US and listed by the United Nations Security Council for her alleged links to the Al-Qaeda

CEBU, Philippines – Authorities arrested a 32-year-old woman, identified as a terrorist in the United States and suspected of facilitating the transfer of funds to Islamic State (IS) forces in the Philippines, in Sulu province on Thursday, February 15.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) identified the suspect as Myrna Mabanza, who is facing five counts of terrorism financing based on the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 and the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

Members of various law enforcement and military groups arrested Mabanza during an operation conducted in Barangay Pasil, Indanan town at around 5:50 am, based on warrants issued by Judge Shaldilyn Bara Bangsaja of Branch 33 of the Regional Trial Court in Region IX in Zamboanga City on December 20, 2023. No bail bond was recommended.

Authorities immediately took Mabanza from Sulu to Zamboanga City for presentation to a court which ordered her arrested.

The PAOCC and PNP said Mabanza was involved in facilitating the transfer of up to US$107,000 with the late Isnilon Hapilon, then the “emir” of the IS in Southeast Asia, in January 2016.

Authorities alleged that Hapilon had also given her instructions to deliver funds to an ISIS member.

Hapilon, who was on the list of most wanted terrorists in the US, was killed along with Maute Group leader Omar Maute during the 2017 Marawi Siege.

Authorities said Mabanza served as an intermediary between the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Hapilon’s group in early 2016.

In 2018, the US labeled Mabanza a ”specially designated global terrorist” for allegedly participating in financing activities in support of ISIL. She was also included in the list of the United Nations Security Council for her alleged associations with ISIL and Al-Qaeda.

They also alleged that Mabanza had facilitated the travel of a Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) representative from Indonesia to the Philippines to meet with Hapilon.

The IS-inspired JAD is an Indonesian group that has been linked to bomb attacks, including the Jolo Cathedral bombing in 2019.

“The JAD representative traveled to the Philippines to purchase arms for ISIS-aligned forces in Indonesia and to set up training courses for pro-ISIS recruits from Indonesia with ISIS-Philippines,” the report read.

In a 2019 Rappler report, Mabanza was identified as a teacher in a public school in Zamboanga City who was married to the late Malaysian bomb maker and Ansar al-Shariah Battalion head Mohammad Najib Hussein, also known as Abu Anas.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/mindanao/woman-terror-fund-facilitator-arrested-sulu-february-15-2024/