63 rounded up in Islamic Center saturation drive

Some 63 persons were rounded up by the police during a saturation drive early morning yesterday at the Islamic Center in Quiapo, Manila as part of the intensified campaign of the Western Police District (WPD) against criminality.

The operation was conducted after some eight Muslim religious leaders and Muslim mosque administrator Mohammad Tanggote requested for police assistance in flushing out suspected undesirable tenants of a temporary housing unit in the center.

The undesirables, they claimed, are believed to be engaged in illegal activities.

Operatives of the Sta. Cruz police station, led by Superintendent Romulo Sapitula and assisted by Special Weapons and Tactics and mobile patrol personnel, swooped down on the Islamic Center at about 6 a.m.

During the operation, police seized at least 10,000 assorted pirated video compact discs and five replicating machines for VCDs.

A caliber .45 pistol with two magazines and 14 bullets was also recovered from the room of one Gandawali Abubakar, 31, a Maguidanaoan. He was subsequently charged with illegal possession of firearm.

Three other persons, identified as Jainudin Usay, 28; Ronali Angkas, 29; and Art Datukali, were charged with violation of the anti-illegal drugs law after an undetermined quantity of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia were found in their possession.

Accompanied by their Muslim religious leaders, some 63 persons underwent character investigation. Cops later released 32 persons after they had shown their identification papers.

Sapitula said more saturation drives will follow in other identified criminal-infested areas in line with the directive of WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong to neutralize crime and terror groups, which may sow violence during the election period. — Nestor Etolle