ZAMBOANGA CITY – Joint police and military forces have arrested a member of a syndicate who has ties with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and tagged as the primary suspect in the killing of a retired policeman more than a year ago in this southern port city.
The Lamitan City Police Station identified the arrested suspect as Jimbo Taning Asani, an alleged member of a gun-for-hire and drug syndicate linked with the Basilan-based ASG bandits.
Asani was arrested in an intelligence-driven warrant of arrest operation on Monday in Sitio Sayugan, Barangay Maganda, Lamitan City, Basilan. He is the primary suspect in the killing of Edwin Solis, a retired policeman on March 11, 2020, in Barangay Sangali, here.
Solis was buying a cigarette from a store when the suspect arrived and shot the victim.
Asani is on the list of Regional Top Priority Target of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) and the seventh most wanted person of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) for the crime of murder.
The police said the suspect was a member of the local gun-for-hire and drug syndicate formerly led by the late Abner Muharram alias Small Boy.
Currently, the police said Asani is believed to be under the gun-for-hire and drug syndicate led by Danny Hajiri Bairulla, who is linked to ASG members based in Basilan's Tuburan town.