Zamboanga crime gang ‘protected by pols’ falls in Las Piñas raid

A five-man group linked to drug trafficking and gun-for-hire operations in Zamboanga City, and who allegedly enjoyed the protection of local politicians and members of the judiciary, has been arrested in Las Piñas City, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

NBI Director Virgilio Mendez described Thursday’s capture of Phon Mohammad Mansul, a former police officer in Zamboanga, and his four cohorts as “a big breakthrough in the fight against high crimes in that city and nearby areas.”

Special Agent Peter Lugay, the officer on the case, identified the other gang members as Bamher Baid Hamsi, Abraham Adani Unaid, Nasrip Bustama Mohammad, and Abdusahar Sabtal Albi.

The group was arrested in a raid on Thursday in their safe house on Electra Street, Gatchalian Subdivision, Manuyo 2, in Las Piñas, the NBI said.

The operation involved combined forces from the NBI, the Naval Intelligence and Security Group, Philippine Center for Transnational Crime and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, Lugay said.

“We expected strong resistance because in previous operations against the group our operatives were wounded and one was killed in the gunbattle,” Lugay recalled.

But this time, he said, the suspects were not able to engage the raiding team as “they appeared to be high on drugs when they were captured,” Lugay told the Inquirer on Saturday.

‘Expect more arrests’

Recovered from the safe house were high-powered firearms, C-4 “military high-grade” explosives and yet-unknown black granules believed to be ingredients for making bombs, he said.

“Mansul’s group was not only accused of high crimes but was also known to be strong supporters of bandits like the Abu Sayyaf,” Mendez said. “Based on our reports, they are being protected by their relatives who are (either) politicians or members of the judiciary.”

He said that with the arrest of Mansul, “expect more arrests of other members of the syndicate, including a politician.”

NBI records showed that last year a Zamboanga City deputy prosecutor and a lawyer were arrested inside the city’s Hall of Justice after they allegedly offered a P200,000 bribe to a policeman for him not to build cases against Mansul and another cohort, Margani Samla. The two suspects were then tagged for the murder of a judge and for illegal possession of drugs and firearms.

Arrested for bribery were Deputy Prosecutor Roselyn Murillo-Mamon and lawyer Pherham Surian Saiddi.

Mendez said Samla, who used the alias “Bin Laden,’’ earlier escaped arrest in Zamboanga City in 2011 by hurling a grenade at a police raiding team, killing a member of the Special Action Force and wounding another.

In April 2012, another operation against Samla in Barangay Recodo, also in Zamboanga, turned bloody when he and his heavily armed henchmen engaged the police in a shootout.

Samla was finally arrested in later that year, according to Mendez.