Abu Sayyaf 'bagman' arrested by CIDG in Tawi-Tawi

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines -- Joint operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group
(CIDG), local police and intelligence unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have arrested one of the founding members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Tawi-Tawi amid the continuing gun battle between government troops and the terrorists in nearby Basilan.

Arrested was Ustadz Ahmadsali Asmad Badron alias Ammad, Hamad Ustadz Idris in Barangay Lamion in the said island at about 8:50 a.m. on Saturday July 28, 2012, according to CIDG Chief Police Director Samuel D. Pagdilao, Jr.

Badron has a standing warrant of arrest for six counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention. He is one of the original members of the ASG and a cousin of one of the group's leaders, the late Nadzme Sabtula alias "Commander Global”.

The suspect was involved in the kidnapping of tourists and resort staff in Sipadan, Malaysia and members of the religious group Jehovah's Witnesses in Jolo in 2000 and 2003, respectively.

The subject was formerly under the command of the late Abu Sayyaf head, Galib Andang alias "Commander Robot”.

Police Senior Superintendent Edgar Cabrera Danao, CIDG Region 9 chief, said Badron was among the trusted members of the ASG who kept millions of pesos in ransom money they collected from their operations.

He is also an alleged Jemaah Islamiah facilitator to ASG's foreign members namely Maweyah, Qaem, Dulmatin, Palestinian Yusef; and to local members identified as Ibni Akosta and Tuan Muktar.

"They were contacts persons of Hata Haipe or Ustadz Tuan Awliayah in Malaysia until his arrest in 2008 in Kuala Lumpur and other Palestinian nationals belonging to the radical group Hamas under Yusef, who is a supporter of Al Qaeda in Southern Philippines," Danao said.

The CIDG chief said the arrest of Badron was a  joint operation from units of the CIDG and Community Investigative Support (CIS), the Philippine Center on Transnational Crimes, 84th SAC Special Action Force, Marine Battalion Landing Team-5, Naval Intelligence Service Group for Western Mindanao, Tawi-Tawi Provincial Police Office and the Regional Intelligence Unit 15 in coordination with the Directorate of Integrated Police Operations for Western Mindanao.

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