Malaysian arrested

By Jerome Aning

Philippine Daily Inquirer,Saturday,June 4,2011

BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION (BI) agents, along with naval intelligence operatives, arrested a Malaysian believed to be a member of an international terrorist group operating in Mindanao. Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said Abdul Aziz Usman, also known as Aziz Bin Othman was arrested on May 28 in Barangay Inawayan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur by joint elements of the BI's Mindanao intelligence unit and Philippine Navy's intelligence command in Region 11. David said Usman, 50, was nabbed together with his aide Omar Abu, also believed to be a Malaysian national. They were arrested after months of intensive surveillance by authorities on their activities. The immigration chief added that Usman is suspected to be a finance officer for a terrorist group closely associated with the Abu Sayyaf bandit group and the al-Qaida network of slain terror leader Osama Bin Laden. Usman had been meeting with various groups in the Davao provinces, according to the BI. "He could not present any travel documents, thus we will deport him for being an undocumented alien," David said. Usman reportedly arrived from Sabah, Malaysian on May 9