American arrested

CEBU, Philippines - An American national with standing arrest warrants in the US for several crimes, including having sex with a minor and se-xual battery, was arrested by the police past 5 a.m. yesterday in an apartment in Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City.

Shikeb Saddozai, 37, was arrested by police officers in Sitio Kalubihan in Sambag 1 after he eluded an operation two months ago.

Senior Superintendent Conrad Capa, deputy regional director for operations of the Police Regional Office-7, said that the American resisted violently prior to his arrest but four big Special Weapons and Tactics team members subdued him.

Saddozai’s arrest came after the Bureau of Immigration issued a warrant of deportation against the suspect. He has four standing warrants of arrest in the US for forcible sex with minor, sexual battery, kidnapping and false imprisonment. Capa said that four marshals tried to arrest him in the US but he sent one of them to the hospital after beating him.

Capa said that National Bureau of Investigation operatives and Bureau of Immigration agents tried to arrest him November 18 last year after a deportation order was released, but he eluded arrest by jumping from the third floor of a condominium in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City and then went into hiding again.

The police eventually found a man with his description staying in Sambag 1 and conducted surveillance until they confirmed he was the one they were looking for. They then planned his arrest.

Capa together with Superintendent Arnel Banzon, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office; Superintendent Rex Derilo, Regional Intelligence Division-7 deputy chief; Chief Inspector Wildemar Tiu, Fuente Police Station chief, and Chief Inspector Mark Gifter Sucalit of RID-7 went to the apartment early morning yesterday.

Saddozai was still asleep when they arrived and tried to arrest him immediately after he opened the door. He fought back which resulted in a scuffle but four SWAT personnel subdued him and finally arrested him.

Capa said that Saddozai, who was born in Afghanistan, chose Cebu because of the presence of expatriates here and he can blend well.

The police recovered a laptop, mobile phones and money from the suspect. Capa said they have yet to check if the confiscated laptop contains pornographic materials.

He said that they will also investigate if the US citizen is involved in cyber pornography and human trafficking. 

The media tried to get Saddozai’s comment but he declined to give a statement.

He was detained at the Fuente Police Station upon the request of the immigration officials prior to his deportation.

Capa said that this is the second time that PRO-7 arrested a foreign national in Cebu; Robert ‘Musa’ Cerantonio, a radical Muslim cleric was deported to Australia after he was arrested last year in Lapu-Lapu City. —/BRP (FREEMAN)