Maritime police nabbed for extortion in Basilan port

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Members of the counter-intelligence police, backed by Special Action Force (SAF) elements, arrested a member of the police’s Maritime Group in Western Mindanao, who was assigned at the port of Isabela City, for extortion on Friday.

Senior Superintendent Jose Chiquito Malayo, outgoing chief of the Counter Intelligence Task Force (CITF), said Police Officer 3 Basir Alam was arrested at the port of Isabela City at 3:15 p.m. as soon as he received money from undercover policemen, who pretended to be shipping some goods.

Malayo, who had been named to a position at the Philippine National Police’s Directorate for Human Resources and Development, said Alam had been the subject of a complaint from businessmen or individuals shipping goods from Isabela City.

He said Alam had been asking between P500-P1,000 for supposed travel clearance but never issued receipts.

Malayo said the arrested policeman, who was under CITF custody, would face charges. JULIE ALIPALA