Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Suspected Sayyaf-owned bomb components seized
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Combined forces from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and anti-terrorist Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ) intercepted on Monday a shipment of some 600 kilos of explosive ingredient off Zamboanga City.
Lieutenant Commander Roy Echeveria, chief of the Zamboanga Coast Guard Station, said the explosive ingredient was intercepted from m/v Katrina around 6 a.m. in the vicinity of Greater Sta. Cruz Island, three kilometers south of this city.
Echeveria said the explosive ingredient, known as ammonium nitrate, was declared as dried fish in the cargo manifest of the boat that sailed to this city from Jolo, Sulu.
"The item (ammonium nitrate) was not declared in the cargo manifest," he said.
Ammonium nitrate is a fertilizer for farmers, but lawless elements, like the Abu Sayyaf, are using it to manufacture bombs.
Echeveria said the ammonium nitrate was packed in 24 sacks of 25 kilograms each. No one among the passengers claimed ownership of the cargo.
The boat's checker was placed under investigation when it appeared that he has knowledge about the shipment of the ammonium nitrate.
Monday's discovery came less than a month after military forces recovered 10 sacks of ammonium nitrate in Patikul, Sulu.
The chemicals were recovered by military troops pursuing the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in the area.
The boat was held just minutes after it arrived in Zamboanga from Jolo, where security forces are battling members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.
Aside from the cargo inspector, four policemen assigned in Jolo were held for questioning in connection with the illegal cargo, said Major Frank Clavecillas, commander of the port police in Zamboanga City.
"This is definitely intended for terrorism; a ton of this chemical can make a lot of homemade bombs," he said, referring to the 20 sacks of ammonium nitrate his group seized.
He said the cargo inspector tried to escape by jumping from the ferry, but he was later arrested after a long chase inside the port area.
"We have intelligence report that the cargo is intended for the Abu Sayyaf group, which is planning to bomb civilian targets next month in time for the celebration of the Fiesta Pilar in Zamboanga City," he said.
"We have tightened security in Zamboanga port and is closely coordinating with law enforcement agencies to prevent the entry of explosives or bombs in Zamboanga," Clavecillas said.
Authorities also announced Monday the arrest of an Abu Sayyaf member, Badiu Yunos, who was implicated in the kidnappings of three US citizens and dozens of Filipinos in 2001.
Yunos was arrested after troops raided his hideout Thursday in the village of Maligi in Isabela City in Basilan said Major Eugene Batara, a regional army spokesman.
"He is being interrogated and implicated in the kidnappings of American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and (Californian) Guillermo Sobero and dozens of civilians in Basilan in 2001," Batara said.
The foreigners were kidnapped along with 17 Filipino holidaymakers in the posh Dos Palmas resort in Palawan province in central Philippines. Guillerno Sobero was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf the same year and Martin Burnham was shot dead in 2002 after a US-led military rescue operation; his wife was also shot and wounded. (Sunnex)
(September 19, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
Court finds cop guilty of Bantay Dagat chief's murder