COTABATO CITY -- Security forces arrested here on Wednesday an Arab national and his Filipino wife for their alleged links to the ISIS terror group.
PLt. Col. Esmael Madin, acting regional chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, identified the suspects as Adel Sulaman Al-Suhibani, 47, and his wife, Norhana Silongan Lumangal, 44, who were arrested by police and military operatives at their house in Barangay Mother Tamontaka, this city.
Madin said the raiding team seized an improvised explosive device and its components and several personal belongings including passport, cellular phones and laptop.
Authorities tagged the suspects as members of IHH Turkey Foundation that served as conduits of funds channelled to the ISIS-inspired local terror group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
Madin said the suspects had been under surveillance for several months prior to their arrest.
He said the suspects used the foundation as front for the suspects' terrorist activities.