Suspect in kidnapping of Sirawai farmer nabbed in Zamboanga City
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A suspected Abu Sayyaf member believed to have been involved in the abduction of a Filipino-American farmer last month was captured by chance during a raid against another suspected terrorist in a coastal village in Zamboanga City on Tuesday.
Arnison Manambahi Tungayao, alias Ganison, is one of the suspects in the abduction of Rex Susulan Triplitt in Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte last September 16.
Triplitt, 62, was rescued safely on September 30 by troops of the 42nd Infantry Battalion following a brief firefight with his captors.
The elements of the Regional Intelligence Division 9 (RID) of the Police Regional Office (PRO) arrested Tungayao about late Tuesday afternoon in a house along the shoreline of Barangay Arena Blanco.
The main target of the raid was Injam Yadah, who was to be arrested for illegal possession of firearms and explosives. He managed to escape.
Yadah is identified as a Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf sub-leader, according to the RID.
Police intelligence forces, backed by the elements of Joint Task Force Zamboanga, chanced upon Tungayao who had been left behind inside Yadah's hideout.
The raiding forces recovered an M16 rifle with a magazine loaded with ammunition.
The suspect was turned over to the custody of the police Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), which will ready charges against him.
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