Kidnap group member nabbed

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Combined police forces and elements of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) captured early Wednesday a member of the kidnap for ransom group, tagged to be behind the kidnapping of a local businessman three years ago in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay, a security official said.

Forces from the Provincial Public Safety Company, Philippine Center for Transnational Crime, and the PAOCC tracked down and arrested Bakir Sakilan, 41 in his hideout at Barangay Bulawan about 3 a.m.

Sakilan was the primary suspect in the kidnapping of businessman Reynaldo Drapeza last Nov. 9, 2010 somewhere in the border of Kabasalan and Payao towns while the victim was on board a pumpboat, Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, spokesman of Police Regional Office 9 said.

Drapeza was freed by Sakilan and his group after more than a year in captivity allegedly following payment of ransom.

Huesca said the combined police forces arrested Sakilan with the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Josefino Bael for kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

Huesca said the suspect has been temporarily detained at the provincial investigation and detective management branch of Zamboanga Sibugay police headquarters as tactical interrogation continued on the suspect’s other involvement and his group’s operation in Western Mindanao.