The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has started looking into the activities in the Philippines of two gunmen involved in the deadly shootings in Bondi beach in Sydney, Australia.
“The NBI, through its Counter Terrorism Division, motu proprio (on its own initiative), is looking into the matter without having to wait for a request from Australian authorities,” said NBI Spokesperson Palmer Mallari on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Mallari said the NBI-CTD is actively coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration, the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), and the NBI regional and district offices in order to backtrack the activities of the two suspects who were confirmed to have traveled to the Philippines last Nov. 1 to 28, specifically in Davao, and potentially in nearby areas.
The two Bondi shooters have been identified as Indian national Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Indian-Australian national Naveed Akram, 24.
The BI had confirmed that the two arrived in the Philippines together last Nov. 1 from Sydney.
It also said the two went to Davao and later left the Philippines on Nov. 28 for Sydney.
According to reports, Sajid was killed by authorities while his son was confined in a hospital after having allegedly carried out the shootings that took place in Bondi beach in Sydney last Sunday, Dec. 14, during a Jewish Hanukkah event and resulted in the deaths of 16 persons including one of the suspects.
The reports also stated that Australian authorities found two flags of the militant group Islamic State inside the gunmen's vehicle.