By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
A suspected kidnap gang leader and his follower tagged in the kidnapping of a town mayor in the southern Philippines have been arrested.
Police Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, Regional Office 9 spokesperson, said in a statement Saturday that police and military operatives captured Reme Sabtal -- alias Mr. Suave and Commander Agila -- and his cohort, Ronnie Sabtal, in Zamboanga Sibugay province Friday.
Authorities also recovered several high-powered firearms, five rifle grenades, one fragmentation hand grenade, assorted military uniforms and illegal drugs from the hideout in Kaliantana village.
"Arrested persons [Sabtal and his cohort] as well as the recovered items were brought to Naga MPS [Municipal Police Station] for investigation," said Samuddin.
Five gunmen had seized Mayor Gemma Adana of Naga town in April while she was at her residence with relatives and friends.
According to Samuddin, Sabtal during interrogation that his followers had been involved in the kidnapping.
Pursuit operations for other members of the gang are ongoing.
Sabtal has a standing arrest warrant on charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Police investigators have determined that Adana was turned over to an al-Qaeda-linked militant group on the island province of Sulu – a known Abu Sayyaf stronghold.
Police are also investigating the involvement of Sabtal’s group in the 2011 kidnapping of an Australian, who was later released after a ransom was allegedly paid.
Kidnap-for-ransom gangs frequently operate in Zamboanga Peninsula and the provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.
The gangs are known to hand over their captives to the Abu Sayyaf and negotiate for a ransom that, if paid, is shared with the group.
The kidnappers use isolated sea-lanes and coastal areas to grab their victims, who are then held captive in isolated Muslim villages in the peninsula.
Since 1991, the Abu Sayyaf -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles -- has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion in the Philippines.
It is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.
Among the captives still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf group were foreigners Elwold Horns of Holland, Malaysian Thien Nyuk Fun, Cambodian Bernard Then Ted Fen, Korean businessman Noui Hong Sung and long-time captive Japanese national Toshio Ito.
