BY AARON RECUENCO, JOSEPH PEDRAJAS
Police intelligence operatives have arrested a suspected gunrunner allegedly engaged in recruiting for the international terrorist group Daulah Islamiyah.
Police identified the arrested suspect as Kevin Madriñan, also known as Ibrahim Abdullah Madrinan and Ibrahim Khalil Al-Garaba, police officials announced Monday.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo said that members of Quezon City Police District and the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group arrested him after selling a firearm with live ammunition worth P60,000 to an undercover police in Barangay North Fairview at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
The operation came after QCPD investigation unit head Maj. Elmer Monsalve received information that Madriñan was “into gun running.”
General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Madriñan is a Balik-Islam who serves as contact person and liaison in Luzon of Daulah Islamiya members coming from Maguindanao.
He is reportedly associated with Daulah Islamiyah local contacts Esmael Abdulmalik and Salahuddin Hasan who are both based in Maguindanao, and Sulu-based terror group leader Mundi Sawadjaan.
“He assumed responsibility as Luzon liaison of Daulah Islamiyah after the arrest of Datu Omar Palte in Quezon City on January 1, 2020. Madrinan is also responsible for the recruitment of Balik-Islam converts and facilitating their travel to Mindanao for training and jihad exposure,” said Cascolan.
Madriñan was reportedly associated with Yusuf Macoto of Cavite and Muhammad Paras of Bulacan who both died during the Marawi City siege in 2017.
“He is under investigation. We are monitoring him and his recruitment activities in Metro Manila. We will still be investigating him and we will extract a lot of information from him,” said Cascolan.
The QCPD said that Madriñan will be charged for violations of R.A. 10591 (Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition) and of R.A. 9516 (Illegal Possession of Explosives).
