Maute-linked murder suspect killed in Lanao del Sur sting operation

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines — Police shot dead Wednesday a murder suspect allegedly remitting proceeds of his large-scale drug trafficking activities to the Maute terror group, officials said Friday.

Personnel of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office launched a drug sting against Mamintal Manan in Barangay Pugaan in Ditsaan Ramain town but shot him instead when he reportedly opened with with a KG9 machine pistol while evading arrest.

Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said Friday they deferred their announcement of Manan’s death for two days so police units in the province could prepare for possible retaliations by the drug suspect's accomplices.

Political leaders have confirmed that Manan is linked to a drug ring peddling methamphetamine hydrochloride, most known as shabu, for Abu Dar, the new leader of the Islamic State-inspired Maute terror group.

Senior Superintendent Madgzani Mukaram, director of the Lanao del Sur police, said Friday the supposed entrapment of Manan was laid with the help of local officials and vigilant residents in Ditsaan Ramain.

Manan was facing a criminal case for the murder of a SPO1 Mohammad Liwalug in Lanao del Sur on December 4, 2018.

The police team involved in the operation that resulted in Manan's death arrested his accomplice, Saidamen Caya, whom local officials said is also into large-scale drug trafficking.

In February, the Lanao del Sur police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao arrested drug dealer Amrodin Bantog, also a henchman of Abu Dar, in Wao town.
 
The joint police-PDEA group that pulled off the sting that led to Bantog’s fall recovered from him P6.8 million worth of shabu.