Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 27) — Police on Friday said they arrested a man who allegedly helped fund the ISIS-inspired Maute group in Marawi City.
Rasdy Malawani, 42, was arrested on Thursday after police searched his home in Novaliches, Quezon City, according to Quezon City Police District Director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar.
Malawani faces firearms charges after police recovered an unlicensed .45-caliber Colt pistol, five rounds of ammunition and a rocket-propelled grenade, police said in a statement.
Eleazar said the search was conducted after intelligence operations confirmed that Malawani was running the Salaam Bazaar in the Novaliches Plaza Mall on behalf of Ominta “Farhana” Maute, the matriarch of Maute group.
Farhana was arrested in Lanao del Sur in June 2017 and faces rebellion charges.
Read: DOJ files rebellion charges against Maute mother, 10 others
Eleazar said rent collected from the Bazaar was remitted to Azesha Macabangkit-Maute, wife of Marawi crisis architect Madie Maute, in Marawi City.
Police also recovered bank transaction receipts during the search of Malawani’s home.
Eleazar also said Malawani’s social media account is linked to members of the Maute group, adding that the suspect’s wife, Princess Makabangkit-Malawani, is the sister of Azesha.
Eleazar said Malawani’s arrest “will cripple the business at the Novaliches Mall, which was a significant source of the terrorist group’s finances.”
The Maute group was behind the five-month-long Marawi crisis, which started on May 23 when the Maute group fought back as government forces were attempting to arrest former Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, who was appointed “emir” of Southeast Asia by ISIS.
Fighting in Marawi ended on October 23, days after the military confirmed the death of Malaysian extremist Mahmud Ahmad, who was a suspected financier of the Marawi crisis.
EXCLUSIVE: Military video shows suspected remains of Marawi siege financier Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad
