Police kill drug pusher with ties to Maute terror group
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sat, 09 Mar 2019 05:37:18 +0000
COTABATO CITY – A murder suspect allegedly sharing proceeds of his drug trafficking activities with the Maute terror group was slain in a law enforcement operation in Lanao del Sur, police said Friday.
The fatality was identified as Mamintal Manan of Barangay Pugaan in Ditsaan-Ramain, a farming town the first district of Lanao del Sur.
Provincial police operatives trying to entrap Manan were forced to return fire when he fired at them first with a KG9 machine pistol while evading arrest in the vicinity of his residence, an initial investigation showed.
The shootout happened last Wednesday but Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region police chief, announced Manan’s death after two days to enable their units in Lanao del Sur to prepare for possible retaliations by his cohorts still at large.
Local civilian authorities reportedly confirmed that Manan was involved in peddling shabu allegedly to help subsidize the activities of Abu Dar, the new leader of the Islamic State-inspired Maute terror group.
Senior Supt. Madgzani Mukaram, Lanao del Sur police director, lauded vigilant residents for tipping off the police about the activities and whereabouts of Manan, who was facing a murder case for the killing of SPO1 Mohammad Liwalug in the province on Dec. 4, 2018.
He said Manan’s alleged accomplice, named as Saidamen Caya, was arrested during Wednesday’s raid.
The provincial police office deemed the death of Manan as “another blow” to illegal drug trade-based fund raising by the group of Abu Dar. (Ali Macabalang)