Sayyaf suspect nabbed

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) nabbed a foreign-trained suspected Abu Sayyaf member, tagged for his involvement in the infamous Sipadan kidnapping, while he was walking in the downtown area of this city Thursday, a source disclosed.

Police arrested Ustadz Jaitun Timual, a graduate from Syria, along R. T. Lim Boulevard after he came out from a seminar near Pettit Barrack, said the source, who asked not to be identified since he is not authorized to make a public statement.

The suspect was immediately whisked to the CIDG-9 office at Camp Batalla and placed under tactical interrogation.

“Based on the tactical interrogation, the subject has a pending warrant in connection with the Sipadan hostage taking,” the source said.

Abu Sayyaf militants attacked the Sipadan dive resort off Malaysia sometime in April 2000 and seized 21 tourists, mostly Europeans and Malaysians, including two Filipino resort staff, and brought them to Sulu.

The victims, who were held for almost five months, were freed in batches following payment of huge ransom in dollars.

Several leaders of the group involved in the Sipadan kidnapping, which includes Ghalib Andang alias Commander Robot, Mujib Susukan, Nadzmi Saabtula alias Global, were neutralized in military and police operations in the succeeding years.