By Nonoy E. Lacson Zamboanga City – The leader of a notorious criminal group, known for its involvement in the illegal drug trade, piracy and other forms of criminality, was slain in an encounter with police and military authorities in Dinas town, Zamboanga del Sur last Wednesday morning. Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) Spokesman Capt. Jo-Ann D Petinglay identified the suspect as Salik Samin, who is also known as Kumander Karding. Samin is also the region’s third most wanted person and has pending cases for murder, attempted murder, and frustrated murder. Samin was killed after he shot it out with government forces in Sitio Matab-ang, Barangay Benuatan in Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur. According to Petinglay, the  Ambol Group is  engaged in illegal drugs trade, criminalities, and piracy and  operates in the coastal municipalities of Dinas, San Pablo, Dimataling, Margosatubig and Tabina, all in Zamboanga del Sur. “The Joint Task Force ZamPeLan and the police units were serving the arrest warrant on Samin, who evaded arrest and initiated a gunfight, prompting our forces to return fire,” Petinglay said. In a related development,  military troops recovered two grenades and war materials in a clash with 20 members of the New People’s Army in a remote village in  Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte  at noon, Monday. Joint Task Force ZamPeLan Commander Brig Gen Roseller Murillo said yesterday  elements  of the 42nd Infantry Battalion were conducting combat operation when they encountered the  group led by a certain Waway in Barangay Daniel Maing, Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte at about 12:08am  last Monday. Murillo said  the  30-minute armed confrontation resulted in the recovery of a KG9 machine pistol with two magazines and 20 rounds of ammunition, a rifle grenade, a fragmentation hand grenade, 20 empty shells of Caliber 5.56 and of 7.62 ammunition, a binocular, and other personal belongings of the bandits.