Abu Sayyaf 'spotter' falls in Zamboanga City raid

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - A suspected Abu Sayyaf spotter whom the militants allegedly sent to conduct surveillance on potential kidnap targets and his companion were captured by police and intelligence unit in this city on Wednesday.

Arrested were Alhnur Bacalso Usup, 28 -- known by the aliases Arab-Arab and Arab Puti -- and his companion Jamal Sapie Labuan, 32.

Chief Superintendent Miguel Antonio Jr., Police Regional Office 9 (PRO) director, said Usup has a standing warrant of arrest issued by Judge Betlee-Ian Baraquias of the Sulu Regional Trial Court on January 12, 2015. The judge set bail at P200,000.

The case is in connection with the 2014 Talipao town massacre in Sulu, where 21 people were killed coming out of a mosque for the Eid’l Fit’r celebration.

Antonio said Usup initially escaped personnel from the Zamboanga City Police Office and the combined intelligence unit who raided the suspect’s rented safehouse in Barangay San Roque.

However, the police and security forces gave chase and Usup and Labuan were arrested about along Governor Camins Road.

Antonio said the raiding forces recovered three small sachets of suspected shabu, drug paraphernalia and a fragmentation grenade from the pair. Authorities also recovered two motorcycles that they believe were stolen because the registration papers were under other people's name.

The police disclosed that Usup and others who managed to escape, were all members of the Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf whom their leader Idang Susukan sent to conduct surveillance on prospective targets for kidnapping in this city.

The ZCPO has doubled its security and countersurveillance against kidnappings that the Abu Sayyaf might attempt.