3 terror suspects fall
The Northern Mindanao Police has placed the entire region on full alert status following the arrest of three men with supposed links to the Maute local terror group at an inn along Kauswagan Highway, this city, over the weekend.
Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO10), identified the suspects as Oding Alamada, Sidic Casubidan, and Bittyara Solaiman, all allegedly connected with the Maute group based on initial information from the intelligence community.
The suspects were arrested at Resonance Inn for illegal possession of explosives, illegal drugs and firearm.
“Alleged members pa sila kay giverify pa ilang identities pero bisan pa ani gi-alert sa PRO-10 ang tibuok region (Their identities are still being verified but we have alerted the whole region),” Gonda said.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of Police Station 1 and a unit of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) in a follow-up operation after receiving reports that the group left a live hand grenade at room 314 of Country Village Hotel in Carmen village.
Senior Inspector Maricris Mulat, police station 1 chief, they acted based on information that reached their office that suspects were aboard a Tamaraw FX vehicle.
Mulat said they also received information that the suspects frequent Resonance Inn while checked in at other hotels.
Authorities were also able to
seized from the suspects’ P36,000 worth of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or ‘shabu’ and drug paraphernalia; electrical wires and electrical tape; power bank battery and power bank power circuit regulator; hand gun barrel; laptop; portable DVD player; hotel room key; a .45 caliber pistol with magazine.
Mulat said the recovered items have been turned over to the crime laboratory for examination to determine their possible connection to archived evidence from crimes relating to terrorism.
Mulat said they are also checking the identities of the suspects after Alamada identified himself as a member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) while the two others claimed to be a farmer, a businessman, and a mechanic.
Mulat also said the two Tamara FX vehicles of the suspects will be subjected for verification from the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
The suspects denied the allegations that they are linked to the Maute group, saying they only came to the city to purchase a vehicle.
The police brought the suspects to the City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday for the inquest proceedings after authorities charged them with illegal possession of illegal drugs, firearms and explosives.