2 suspected terrorists nabbed in Davao Sur

MANILA, Philippines—Immigration and naval intelligence operatives arrested a Malaysian believed to be a member of an international terrorist group operating in Mindanao.

Abdul Aziz Usman, 50, was nabbed together with his aide Omar Abu, also believed to be a Malaysian national, after months of intensive surveillance by authorities on their activities in the South.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said Usman, also known as Aziz Bin Othman, was arrested last May 28 in Barangay (village) Inawayan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur by joint elements of the BI’s Mindanao intelligence unit and the Navy’s intelligence command in Region 11.

He added that Usman is suspected of working as a finance officer for a terrorist group, which is closely associated with Abu Sayyaf and the Al-Qaeda network of slain terrorist Osama bin Laden.

“He could not present any travel documents, thus we will deport him for being an undocumented alien,” David said.

The two are currently undergoing tactical interrogation before undergoing summary deportation proceedings.

Usman, according to the BI’s intelligence report, was also the object of complaints for his involvement in the trafficking of Filipino Muslim women to Malaysia, some of whom are being forced into prostitution and white slavery.

Lawyer Maria Antonette Mangrobang, BI acting intelligence chief, said that Usman was about to marry a Filipina in a ceremony at a mosque when he was picked up by the arresting agents.

Mangrobang said initial investigation revealed that Usman took up accounting and finance at the University of Tennessee, USA from 1996 to 1999.

“He confessed that he has been traveling back and forth to our backdoor via Jolo, Sulu from Sabah, Malaysia,” she added.