Zamboanga City—Police operatives have arrested in this city an Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leader who was reportedly involved in the raid on a Malaysian diving resort more than 18 years ago, an official said Saturday.
Police Regional Office 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) Director Chief Supt. Billy Beltran identified the arrested ASG sub-leader as Hadji Faizal Radjae, 54, a resident of Sitio Logpond, Barangay Libertad, Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Beltran said Radjae was arrested in a law enforcement operation in Sitio Marangan, Barangay Tumitus here at about 3:30 pm Friday.
He has a standing warrant of arrest for the crime of kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by a court of Parang, Sulu on Sept. 28, 2000, the police official said.
Beltran said the suspect was also involved in the kidnapping of 21 people from the dive resort island of Sipadan, Malaysia on April 23, 2000. The hostages—eight Europeans, 11 Malaysians and two Filipinos—were herded to the hinterlands of Sulu and were later released in batches following the payment of ransom.
Radjae, he said, was also involved in other atrocities, among them the bombings in the Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi areas.
Radjae is temporarily detained at the headquarters of Zamboanga City Police’s Station 11 while the police are processing his commitment order.