A MEMBER of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) involved in the infamous Lamitan siege in 2000 and with a P600,000 bounty for his capture was arrested by lawmen in the province of Basilan, a top police official said Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
Police Brigadier General Bowenn Joey Masauding, Police Regional Office (PRO)-Zamboanga Peninsula director, identified the arrested member of the ASG as Mobin Kullin, who had been hiding for over a decade.
Masauding said Kullin was arrested in an intelligence-driven law enforcement operation through a service of a warrant of arrest on Monday, September 23, in Tabiawan village, Isabela City, Basilan province.
Masauding said Kullin has a standing warrant of arrest for the crime of kidnapping and illegal detention with no recommended bail issued by a court in Isabela City dated May 6, 2002.
He said Kullin is listed as one of the most wanted persons in the country under the Department of National Defense-Department of the Interior and Local Government joint order with a reward of P600,000 for his capture.
He said Kullin was involved in multiple kidnappings, including the Golden Harvest Plantation raid in Tairan village, Lantawan, on June 11, 2001, aside from the Lamitan siege in 2000.
The ASG bandits seized 15 workers during the raid at the Golden Harvest Plantation and executed five of them.
The rest of the hostages either managed to escape or rescued during military operations.
Kullin is currently in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-9 for documentation and proper disposition.
Masauding said Kullin served under ASG sub-leader Ustadz Kalah, ASG leaders Khadaffy Janjalani, and Isnilon Hapilon, all of whom were operating in Lantawan, Basilan province.
“I commend the operatives involved on the service of warrant of arrest in Isabela city wherein Mobin Kullin, a National Level most wanted person on September 23, 2024 for the crime of kidnapping,” Masauding said.
“Ang PRO-Zamboanga Peninsula kasama ang aming partner agencies ay nakatutok sa pag-aresto ng mga indibidwal na may kinakaharap na kaso lalong-lalo na ang mga sangkot sa terorismo at kidnapping (The PRO-Zamboanga Peninsula together with our partner agencies are focused on arresting individuals facing cases especially those involved in terrorism and kidnapping,” Masauding added. (SunStar Zamboanga)