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| Southeast Asia |
| More on the JI financing operation in the Philippines |
| 2004-05-07 |
| Philippine defence and police officials said Thursday they had uncovered a new Jemaah Islamiah (JI) logistics cell in the country and arrested a suspected member who might have helped transfer funds from the al-Qaeda and JI terror networks. Eduardo Ermita, the defence secretary, said in a press briefing that the authorities had begun proceedings to freeze several bank accounts holding a total of $25,000 of funds transferred from suspected JI leader Riduan Islamudin, also known as Hambali, currently under US custody. It was the first time that Philippine security officials had been able to establish a detailed money trail from international terror suspects to their local partners, he said. The authorities also arrested 46-year old Jordan Mamso Addullah based on leads provided by US officials who interrogated Mr Islamudin, said Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., the Philippine police chief. He added that according to US intelligence, the $25,000 was transferred in July 2003 and was delivered to JI members by an unknown courier flying in from Kuala Lumpur. The authorities believe that upon receiving the money, Mr Addullah changed it into local currency and sent half of it to an Indonesian JI cell leader called "Zulkipli". "Zulkipli" was then supposed to have deposited some of it in a bank and gave the rest to a JI bomber known only as "Marwan". Mr Ebdane said the remainder might have been used to finance a safe-house for the JI cell, Mr Addulah's money trading business and the dowry for Zulkipli's fiancee. Apart from money laundering, Mr Addullah is also facing charges for possible involvement in at least three bombing incidents in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, where most of the country's Muslim minority live. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |