POLICE have arrested an alleged Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member charged with kidnapping in downtown Zamboanga City, an official disclosed Wednesday.
Chief Inspector Hazel Fernandez, Police Station 4 chief, identified the arrested suspect as Puyat Saiyadi, 45, who carries the aliases of "Abubakar Diniri," "Isikandar Saiyadi" and "Puyat Talib Saiyadi," of the island town of Patah, Sulu province.
Fernandez said Saiyadi was arrested by authorities around 10 a.m. Wednesday at Plaza Pershing along I. Magno Street, Zamboanga City.
Saiyadi has a standing warrant of arrest for eight-count kidnapping with serious illegal detention issued by the court in Basilan province.
Fernandez said the arrested suspect was involved in the June 11, 2001 kidnapping of workers at the Golden Harvest Plantation in the village of Tairan, Lantawan, Basilan. The Abu Sayyaf bandits executed by beheading some of the hostages while the others have either escaped or were rescued by the military.
Saiyadi was arrested five days after two other alleged ASG member -- Emran Ismael and Bryan Mohammad -- were nabbed in a shopping mall along La Purisima Street in Zamboanga City.
Ismael and Mohammad were also allegedly involved in the kidnapping of Golden Harvest Plantation workers.