Police forces nab 3 kidnap gang members

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - - Police forces have captured in a raid in a town in Zamboanga Sibugay early this week a leader and two members  of a kidnapping gang  tagged in a number of abduction incidents, a police official said.

Captured suspects were identified as Abral Abdusalam, sub-leader and younger brother of gang leader Waning Abdusalam whose group was responsible for the kidnapping of Italian priest Fr. Giancarlo Bossi in 2007 in Payao town,  three public school teachers in Naga town, Zamboanga Sibugay, and the abduction of Irish priest Fr. Michael Sinnott  in 2009 in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.

Abdusalam has a standing warrant of arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

Abdusalam’s two other arrested companions were identified as Rating Hadjirul and Kismir Hadjirul alias Mamoy, according to Senior Inspector Joseph Ortega, spokesman of Police Regional Office 9 (PRO).

The joint elements of the Zamboanga Sibugay provincial police office intelligence unit and Provincial Public Safety Company backed by the police forces from the Alicia and Mabuhay town armed with  a warrant of arrest raided the hideout of the suspects at Barangay Timbang-Timbang, Alicia town Monday afternoon.

The suspects, who were caught by surprised, made no resistance during the raid.

The arresting police forces also recovered from the possession of the suspects an M16 rifle, ammunition magazine,  a fragmentation grenade, camouflage uniforms for military and police, and bandoliers with two cellphone units.

Ortega said the suspects also have a pending warrant of arrest for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

The suspects are now detained at the police provincial office headquarters pending the filing of the case in court.