Wanted for high-profile crimes killed in Bangsamoro police operation

COTABATO CITY — A suspect in a series of motorcycle theft, multiple murder, extortion and operation of a drug den, who has links with local terrorist groups, was killed while his companion was wounded in a shootout with policemen in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte on Thursday.

The 32-year-old Razul Adza was declared dead on arrival at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center where policemen brought him after the brief gunfight that left his cohort, Ali Mama, 54, badly wounded.

Bangsamoro regional police director Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza told reporters on Friday that combined personnel of the Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station, led by Lt. Col. Sahibon Mamantal, and operatives from units of PRO-BAR and the Criminal and Investigation and Detection Group were supposed to serve Adza and Mama warrants of arrest in their hideout in Barangay Semba, but neutralized them instead when they pulled out guns and opened fire.

Barangay officials in Datu Odin Sinsuat and in this city had confirmed to reporters that the slain Adza and Mama were indeed notorious motorcycle thieves and shabu peddlers and were implicated in the murder of at least seven individuals in the past three years.

Besides their three firearms, the police team out to supposedly arrest them peacefully found three stolen motorcycles, drug sniffing paraphernalia and shabu in the house where they resided that they also ran as a drug den frequented by a number of villagers from barangays around.