Troops arrest Abu Sayyaf ‘spotter’

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) — Police and military operatives have arrested an alleged “spotter” of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) involved in the Sipadan kidnapping 12 years ago, an official announced Tuesday.

Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) information officer, identified the arrested suspect as Mansul Radalan alias Bentong, 37, of Barangay Baliwasan, this city.

Galvez said that Radalan was arrested in a law enforcement operation by way of serving search warrant at around 4:25 a.m. Monday in Mangal Drive, Baliwasan.

Recovered from the suspect’s residence were bomb-making materials, such as ammonium nitrate, a commercial blasting cap, 900 grams of two-inch concrete nails, and a rifle grenade.

She said that Radalan was involved in the kidnapping of 21 people in April 2000 in Sipadan diving resort in Sabah. The victims consisted of 10 Europeans and 11 Asians—nine Malaysians and two Filipinos.

Galvez said that Radalan was also involved in the botched kidnapping of Dr. Armando Iturralde in October 2015 in Barangay Talon-Talon, this city.

Iturralde is the brother of Zamboanga City Vice Mayor Cesar Iturralde.

Galvez said the ASG spotter, was chasing a Korean businessman, a probable kidnapping target, when he was arrested.

As a spotter, Radalan is tasked with scouting for possible kidnap victims, according to Galvez.