Tuesday, September 09, 2008 P1.7-million bounty up for 4 Al Khobars
A P1.7-MILLION reward awaits those who can give information about three men and a woman identified by authorities as members of the Al Khobar extortion group that preys on bus owners.
The four have been listed among the region's most wanted persons, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced.
The identification of the four came after the first bombing of a Metro Shuttle bus inside the Digos City overland transport terminal last July 24, although the announcement only came more than a month later and only after the second bombing.
In a statement, the Police Regional Office-Southern Mindanao identified the wanted men as Salahudin Hasan alias Sudz, Abdulmalik Sali alias Dindo, Tahir Abubakar alias Jerome, and Junaira Mimbida.
Salahudin, alias Sudz, Tulya, Orak, and Tala, is believed to be the leader of the group and is said to be a bomb expert.
Baclid, alias Bai, is believed to be the financial conduit of Al Khobar as it was her Land Bank account in the Cotabato branch that the Metro Shuttle management was instructed to deposit a specified amount. She is the sister-in-law of Salahudin.
With the identification of the four, Police Regional Office for Southern Mindanao Director Andres Caro II called on Dabawenyos to be vigilant and report any information they have about the wanted men and the group.
The bounty that was initially mulled at P1.5 million was raised to P1.7 million with P500,000 allocated for the arrest of Hasan, while the arrest of the other suspects was given an allocation of P400,000 each.
The four men were said to be involved in the July 24, 2008 Metro Shuttle Bus bombing at the Digos City Overland Transport Terminal that resulted in the killing of one person and the wounding of several others. A case for murder with multiple frustrated murders has already been filed against the four.
The PRO Southern Mindanao is confident that the inclusion of the suspects in the list of Top Most Wanted Persons in the region with the corresponding monetary reward will expedite their arrest. (CPM/With press release)
