BI deports alleged terrorist, 43 others

MANILA, Philippines - An Indonesian man, suspected of being a member of the al-Qaeda international terror network, was deported along with 43 other foreigners during the first two months of the year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported yesterday.

Agus Dwikarna was fetched by a chartered plane with private security escorts from Indonesia when he was deported in January, BI Commissioner Siegfred Mison said in a statement.

Dwikarna was caught carrying explosives along with two others at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in March 2002. He was sentenced four months later to serve 10 to 17 years in prison and ordered to pay a penalty of P50,000.

Dwikarna is reportedly a member of an Islamic extremist movement in Indonesia that participates in organized riots, trains its members to assault public officials and manages groups to overthrow the government. The movement is allegedly linked to the al-Qaeda.

Among the 43 others deported were six American fugitives accused of rape and child molestation were deported simultaneously by the bureau after their passports were revoked. They were identified as Glenn Allan Machlan, Philip Vaughn Cox, Frank Bernard McCright alias Clarence Alvin Davis, Donald Lloyd Warren, Richard Michael Chartier and Rommel Rabara.