ONE of the five sea marauders responsible in the killing of eight fishing boat crew was arrested in a drug bust in an east coast village of Zamboanga City, the police said Wednesday, January 11.
Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula Information Officer Rogelio Alabata identified the arrested suspect as Midzfar Nuño, 32, the number two priority target drug personality of the Police Station 3 in the city.
Alabata said Nuño was arrested around 6 p.m. Tuesday in his residence at Sitio Seaside in the village of Sangali, this city, after he allegedly sold a sachet of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, to an undercover policeman.
He said they recovered from the suspect’s possession three heat-sealed plastic sachets of suspected shabu, P200 marked money consisting of two P100 bills and a grenade.
The information officer said some of the witnesses recognized and informed the police that Nuño, when taken to the police headquarters, was among those responsible in the massacre of eight fishing boat crew.
The fishing boat, F/B NR, manned by 15 crewmen was returning home to the village of Sangali coming from Sibuctuc Island, Limaong, when accosted by five sea marauders aboard on two motorboats locally known as “jungkung.”
The sea marauders killed eight of the crewmen around 8 p.m. Monday in the vicinity of Siromon Island in the village of Dita, Zamboanga City.
The sea marauders spared the seven others and ordered them to jump off and swim to safety.
Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar earlier said the eight slain crewmen were tied and killed by the gunmen.
Alabata said Nuño was detained pending the filing of criminal charges for his alleged involvement in the massacre.
He said separate cases for illegal possession of explosive and for violation of Section 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are set to be filed against the arrested suspect.
Investigation continues in a bid to arrest the other four suspects, who are still at large, he added.