PNP: Bomb plot vs Metro thwarted with arrest of Malaysian ‘bomber’

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA — The Philippine National Police on Monday said it had thwarted an attempt by a terrorist bomb expert to stage bombing attacks right in the heart of Metro Manila.

Malaysian terrorist Mohamas Amin, who had a P600,000 bounty on his head, was presented in a press briefing by Chief Supt. Roel Obusan, acting director of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Amin was arrested at 4 a.m. of October 8 by joint operatives from the Anti-Transnational Crimes Unit (ATCU) of the CIDG and PNP Intelligence Group during a raid on 104 Cotabato St., Barangay Culiat, Quezon City.

Also arrested were Bilal Taalam, the owner of the house where Amin was staying, and Adnan Malangkis. Eight other tenants in the house were also being investigated. The CIDG believed all three had links with the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu.

Recovered during the raid were fragmentation grenade, several rounds of ammunition, various identification cards, a blue print of a condo mall in Quezon City and a cellular phone.

Obusan said that aside from the documents, the results of the police interrogation on the suspects  further strengthened their belief about Amin’s plot to stage bombing attacks in Metro Manila.

“Our operatives confiscated a blue print of a building, a condo mall (in Quezon City), so it’s surprising that they are doing some casing on the area,” Obusan said, refusing to name the condo mall to avoid panic.

Amin, who also goes by the names Asman, Akman Amin and Amin Aklam, is a bomb expert and is a subject of an arrest warrant for  a murder case filed at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 3 in Jolo, Sulu. Other Abu Sayyaf members are also facing the same charges in the same court.

Amin and Malangkis were subjected to inquest proceedings for violations of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and RA 9516, or Illegal Possession of Explosives before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court .

Amin will also be charged with violations of Article 78 of the Revised Penal Code for concealing his true identity.

On the other hand, Taalam was charged with obstruction of justice and harboring a fugitive or wanted person under Presidential Decree 1829.

Obusan said Amin had an alliance with the three suspected suppliers of arms of the Abu Sayyaf and other political warlords in ZAMBASULTA (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi ) areas. They were Hja Risdimona Isa, Aljamer Akarab Mandin and Hurbin Sahibul who were arrested in West Crame, San Juan City last month.  SFM

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