Azmi bin Salleh, 36, was apprehended by combined immigration and Aviation Security Group (ASG) agents while he was about to board a Kuwaiti Airlines plane bound for Kuwait via Bangkok, Thailand.
The Malaysian Embassy asserted, however, that Bin Salleh was not a terrorist linked to al-Qaeda.
Seized from Bin Salleh were 104 Malaysian passports believed to be fake, $57,250 in cash, a map of Afghanistan and a cellular phone with the name of Bin Laden displayed on the screen.
Immigration records showed that Bin Salleh arrived in Manila last Tuesday with another Malaysian and a Thai identified as Asag Akong who reportedly managed to sneak out of the country on an early morning flight of Philippine Airlines bound for Bangkok.
The other Malaysian, whose identity was temporarily withheld, is now the subject of an alert order issued by Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo and ASG head Chief Superintendent Marcelo Ele.
On interrogation, Bin Salleh said he knew Bin Laden only through the newspapers and admitted the Saudi dissident was his idol. "There’s nothing wrong with that, right?" he said.
Ele said Bin Salleh was stopped from boarding his plane when security personnel manning an X-ray machine at the departure zone of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport showed images of several travel documents bound with rubber bands.
A manual check of the Bin Salleh’s luggage revealed the 57 Malaysian passports, the money and the cellular phone.
Bin Salleh claimed he was working for a travel agency, but verification showed that the purported firm was non-existent.
Domingo and Ele theorized that the 57 questionable passports were meant for members of the Jama’ah Islamiyah, a Malaysian terrorist group with links to al-Qaeda operating in Southeast Asia.
US intelligence agents have sought clearance to interrogate Bin Salleh who was placed in the custody of Immigration pending further investigation.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Ambassador Mohammad Taufik said Bin Salleh came to Manila to apply for a visa at the Saudi Arabian Embassy to join the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
"It is not true that he is a terrorist. He is not linked with Osama bin Laden. He’s here to get visa for Haj," Taufik said.
He clarified that the money found in Bin Salleh’s possession was meant to pay for the visas of his clients joining the pilgrimage.
The envoy said Bin Salleh tried to secure the visas in Manila to make it appear that the applicants were from the Philippines.
Saudi Arabia reportedly grants visas to a maximum of one percent of a country’s total population, hence, nationals of countries like Malaysia which have a heavy concentration of Muslim citizens go to other nations like the Philippines to secure their visa.
He admitted, however, that the $57,000 found in Bin Salleh’s possession was in violation of Philippine laws which limit the amount of money any foreigner can bring in at a maximum of $10,000.
"Apparently, he broke the law on currency," Taufik admitted.
Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi alias Sammy Sali Jamil said he gave Hadji Onos alias Muklis P250,000 for the purchase of the explosives.
Muklis’ accomplices were identified only as Pax and Salman.
Muklis, along with two other suspects–Col. Efren Torres and Sammy Arinday–have been indicted for murder in connection with the bomb explosions that left 22 people dead in various parts of the metropolis, mostly at the Light Rail Transit station in Blumentritt, Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Al-Ghozi attested to the veracity of his sworn statement where he admitted having met with Muklis in Marawi City to discuss the procurement of the explosives.
Al-Ghozi, who was arrested by police and Immigration agents last month for possession of several fake passports, said Muklis asked for financial support for their operations. "Our boss Fais (Bin Abu Bakar Bafana) approved of the plan because of our campaign for jihad (holy war) in the Philippines."
The funds were withdrawn through the automatic teller machine from the account of a certain Edris Rodin with the Philippine National Bank in Cebu City where the bombs were also bought. — With Delon Porcalla, Pia Lee-Brago