Abu Sayyaf

Abu Sayyaf, also known under the name Al-Harakat Al-Islamiyya, is a separatist and jihadist movement whose theater of operations is in the southern Philippines., mainly on the islands of Joló, Basilán and Mindanao. The name of the group, translated from Arabic, comes to mean "Father of the Sword Maker". Officially known by ISIS as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, it is a jihadist group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It has a strong presence in the Jolo Islands, Basilan and their surroundings., in the southwestern part of the Philippines, where for more than four decades, Moro groups have been involved in an insurgency seeking to make the Moro province independent. The group is considered violent and was responsible for the Philippines' worst terrorist attack, the Superferry 14 bombing in 2004, which killed 116 people. As of 2021, the group is estimated to have between 60 and 70 members, a far cry from the 1,250 members it had in the early 2000s. Most use improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles.

Since its creation in 1991, Abu Sayyaf has been characterized by carrying out bomb attacks, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion as a means of establishing an independent state governed by Sharia (or Islamic Law). in the south of the Philippines. It is estimated that they currently have about 700 combatants, in addition to having numerous splits over the years. The group has carried out multiple attacks, kidnappings, murders and extortions. They have been involved in criminal activities, including rape, child sexual assault, forced marriage, shootings and drug trafficking. The group's objectives "appear to have alternated over time between criminal objectives and a more ideological intent.# 34;.

The group has been designated as a terrorist group by Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States and Vietnam. Since 15 From January 2002 to February 24, 2015, fighting Abu Sayyaf became a mission of the US military's Operation Enduring Freedom and part of the global war on terrorism. Several hundred US soldiers were stationed in the area to primarily train local forces in counterterrorism and counterguerrilla operations, but, following a status of forces agreement and under Philippine law, they were not allowed to engage in direct combat.

The group was founded by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, and led after his death in 1998 by his younger brother Khadaffy Janjalani until his death in 2006. On 23 July 2014, Isnilon Hapilon, one of the group's leaders, swore an oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people for ransom, on behalf of ISIS.

Background and History

In the early 1970s, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was the main Muslim rebel group fighting in Basilan and Mindanao. Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, Khadaffy Janjalani's older brother, had been a teacher of Basilan, who studied Islamic and Arabic theology in Libya, Syria and Saudi Arabia during the 1980s. Abdurajik went to Afghanistan to fight against the Soviet Union and the Afghan government during the Soviet-Afghan War. During that period, it is alleged that he met Osama Bin Laden and received $6 million dollars to establish a 'more Islamic' group. taken from the MNLF. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (known by its acronym ARMM) was established in 1989 partly in response. Both Abdurajik Abubakar and Khadaffy were natives of Isabela City, one of the poorest cities in the Philippines. Located in the northwest part of Basilan, it is the capital of the province. Isabela City is administered by the Zamboanga Peninsula political region to the north of Basilan, while the rest of the island province of Basilan has been governed since 1996 as part of the ARMM to the east.

Leadership of Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani (1989-1998)

In the early 90's, the MNLF became an established political government, the ARMM. It was established in 1989, fully institutionalized in 1996, and became the ruling government in Southern Mindanao. When Abdurajik returned to the island of Basilan in 1990, he gathered radical members of the former MNLF who wanted to resume armed struggle and in 1991 established Abu Sayyaf. Janjalani was financed by the Saudi Islamist, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, who arrived in the Philippines in 1987. or 1988 and was director of the Philippine branch of the foundation of the International Islamic Relief Organization. An Abu Sayyaf defector told Philippine authorities: "The IIRO was behind the construction of mosques, school buildings and other livelihood projects," but only "in penetrated, heavily influenced areas and controlled by Abu Sayyaf'. According to the defector, 'only 10 to 30% of foreign funding goes to legitimate relief and livelihood projects and the rest goes to terrorist operations.' Khalifa married a woman local, Alice "Jameelah" Yabo.

In 1995 Abu Sayyaf was actively involved in an armed campaign, the first attack being the assault on the city of Ipil in Mindanao in April 1995. This year marked the escape of Khadaffy Janjalani, 20, from Camp Crame in Manila along with another member named Jovenal Bruno. On December 18, 1998, Abdurajik was killed in a shootout with the Philippine National Police on Basilan Island. He is believed to have been about 39. Aburajik's death marked a turning point in Abu Sayyaf operations. The group moved on to kidnappings, murders and robberies, under the command of younger brother Khadaffy. Basilan, Jolo and Sulu experienced some of the fiercest episodes between government troops and Abu Sayyaf in the early 1990s. Abu Sayyaf reportedly began expanding into neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia during the 1990s. 90's. Abu Sayyaf is one of the smallest but strongest Filipino Islamist separatist groups. Some members of the Abu Sayyaf studied or worked in Saudi Arabia and developed links with the mujahideen, while fighting and during the Soviet-Afghan War, declaring themselves mujahideen and 'freedom fighters'.

Aburajik's death marked a turning point in Abu Sayyaf operations. The group went on to commit kidnappings, murders and robberies, under the command of the younger brother Khadaffy. States like Basilan, Jolo and Sulu saw some of the fiercest fighting between government troops and Abu Sayyaf in the early 1990s. Abu Sayyaf reportedly began expanding into neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia in the early 1990s. Abu Sayyaf is one of the smallest but most violent Philippine Islamist separatist groups. Some members of the Abu Sayyaf studied or worked in Saudi Arabia and developed ties with the mujahideen, while fighting and training in the war against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Abu Sayyaf members proclaimed themselves mujahideen and freedom fighters.

Leadership of Khadaffy Janjalani (1998-2007)

Until his death in a shootout on September 4, 2006, Khaddafy Janjalani was considered the nominal leader of the group by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Then Khadaffy, 23, assumed leadership of one of Abu Sayyaf's factions in an internal struggle, then worked to consolidate his leadership, making the group appear dormant for a time. Once he secured leadership, Abu Sayyaf began a new strategy, taking hostages. The motive for the group's kidnapping became more economic than religious during this period, according to locals. The hostage money probably provides the group's financing.

Abu Sayyaf expanded its operations to Malaysia in 2000, when it kidnapped foreigners from two resorts. This action was condemned by the majority of Islamic leaders. He was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of more than 30 foreigners and Christian clerics and workers, including Martin and Grace Burnham. An influential commander named Abu Sabaya was killed at sea in June 2002 while trying to evade local forces. His Death is considered a crucial turning point for the group, as the number of operatives working for Abu Sayyaf declined sharply from 1,100 in 2001 to 450 in late 2002, and has since been stagnant for the next ten years.

Galib Andang, one of the group's leaders, was captured in Sulu in December 2003. An explosion at a military base in Jolo on February 18, 2006, was attributed to the group by Brig. General Alexander Aleo. Khadaffy was indicted in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for his alleged involvement in terrorist attacks, including hostage-taking and murder, against U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals. Consequently On February 24, 2006, Khadaffy was among six fugitives from the second and most recent group of accused fugitives added to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list along with two companions, Isnilon Totoni Hapilon and Jainal Antel Sali Jr.

On December 13, 2006, it was reported that Abu Sayyaf members may have been planning attacks during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the Philippines. The group was reported to have trained alongside Jemaah Islamiya militants. The plot reportedly involved the detonation of a car bomb in Cebu City, where the summit was to be held. On December 27, the Philippine military reported that Gaddafi's remains had been recovered near Patikul, in Jolo., and that DNA tests had been ordered to confirm the discovery. He was allegedly shot in the neck in an encounter with government troops in September in Luba Hills, Patikul town in Sulu..

From 2010 to Present

On July 23, 2014, Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, current leader of Abu Sayyaf, swore an oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State (Daesh). In September of the same year they began to demand ransoms for their hostages on behalf of ISIS. In a video released in the summer of 2014, Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon and other masked men swore allegiance or "bay'ah" to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the caliph of the "Islamic State" (ISIL). "We promise to obey him in everything our hearts desire or not and to value him more than anyone else. We will not accept any emir (leader) other than him unless we see in him some obvious act of disbelief that can be questioned by Allah in the hereafter.' For many years before this, the Islamic State's competitor, al-Qaeda, had the support of Abu Sayyaf "through various connections." Observers were skeptical about whether the pledge would lead to whether Abu Sayyaf became an ISIS outpost in Southeast Asia, or whether it was simply a way for the group to take advantage of the newer group's international publicity. In the early hours of October 16, 2017, Isnilon Hapilon was killed by the Philippine army in the Battle of Marawi in 2017.

On April 22, 2020, during a confrontation on the island of Sulu with the Philippine army, 6 jihadists died in combat, this within the framework of a series of operations that the Philippine army maintains in Sulu. In August 2020, MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari handed over Abu Sayyaf Deputy Commander Anduljihad "Idang" Susukan, to the Philippine National Police four months after Susukan surrendered to Misuari in Davao City

Group financing

Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani's first recruits were soldiers of the MNLF and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). However, both the MNLF and the MILF deny having links to the Abu Sayyaf. Both officially distance themselves due to their attacks on civilians and their alleged profit. However, the Philippine military has claimed that elements of both groups provide support to the Abu Sayyaf. The group was not originally thought to receive funding from outside sources, but intelligence reports from the United States, Indonesia, and Australia found intermittent links to the Indonesian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiya, and the Philippine government considers the Abu Sayyaf to be part of Jemaah. Islamiya. The government noted that initial funding for Abu Sayyaf came from Al-Qaeda through Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist Ramzi Yousef operated in the Philippines in the mid-1990s and trained Abu Sayyaf soldiers. The 2002 edition of the US Department's Patterns of Global Terrorism mentions links to Al-Qaeda. Qaeda. Continued ties to Islamist groups in the Middle East indicate that al-Qaeda may continue to support them. In mid-2005, Jemaah Islamiyah personnel reportedly trained about 60 Abu Sayyaf cadres in bomb assembly and detonation.

Kidnappings

The group obtains most of its financing through kidnapping, ransom and extortion. One report estimated that its income from ransom payments in 2000 ranged between $10 and $25 million. According to the State Department, he may receive funds from radical Islamic benefactors in the Middle East and South Asia. Libya was reported to have facilitated ransom payments to Abu Sayyaf. It was also suggested that Libyan money could possibly be funneled to Abu Sayyaf. Russian intelligence agencies connected to Victor Bout's planes allegedly provided weapons to Abu Sayyaf. In 2014 and since, kidnapping for ransom has been the main means of financing.

The following table compiles events in which the Abu Sayyaf received ransoms or payments that are euphemistically called 'food and lodging'.

Motivations, beliefs and objectives

Filipino Islamist guerrillas like the Abu Sayyaf have been described as 'rooted in tight-knit networks, built through the marriage of prominent families across socioeconomic backgrounds and family structures,' according to Michael Buehler. This close-knit family structure provides resilience, but also limits its growth. Western Mindanao Command Commander, Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, describes Abu Sayyaf as "a local group with a local agenda." Two victims of kidnapping, (Martin and Gracia Burnham) who were held captive by ASG for over a year, "gently conversed with their captors in a theological discussion" and discovered that the Abu Sayyaf fighters were not familiar with the Quran. They only had an "incomplete" of Islam, which they saw as "a set of rules of behavior, to be violated when it suited them,", according to author Mark Bowden. As "holy warriors, they were justified in kidnapping, killing, robbing, and having sexual relations with captive women because they claimed them as "wives."

Unlike the MILF and MNLF, the group is not recognized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and, according to author Robert East, was seen as "nothing more than a criminal operation" at least before 2001. A report from Jack Fellman's Center for Strategic and International Studies notes ASG's political rather than religious motivation. He cites Khadaffy's statement that his brother was right to separate from the MNLF because "until now, nothing has come of it." of attempts to gain more autonomy for the Moors. Fellman believes this suggests that ASG "is simply the latest, albeit most violent, iteration of Moro's political dissatisfaction that has existed over the past few decades.

Some Abu Sayyaf members are also 'shabu' users, as described by surviving hostages who saw Abu Sayyaf members consuming shabu, and military finds that found packages of drugs in many of dismantled Abu Sayyaf camps. Their spokesperson known as Abu Rami (d. (2017), appeared to be unaware of the activities of other members, as the group apparently had separated into many small groups with their own leaders.

Objectives

The majority of Abu Sayyaf victims have been Filipinos; However, in recent years (especially since 2011), Australian, British, Canadian, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Norwegian, Swiss and Vietnamese citizens have been kidnapped or attacked. Previously, Americans were a particular target. An anonymous ASG spokesperson reportedly stated: 'We have tried very hard to get an American because they may think we are afraid of them.' He added: "We want to fight the American people."

In 1993, Abu Sayyaf kidnapped an American Bible translator. In 2000, Abu Sayyaf captured an American Muslim and demanded that the United States release Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and Ramzi Yousef, who were imprisoned for their involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing in New York.

Between March 2016 and July 2017, most of the Abu Sayyaf's kidnapping-for-ransom operations moved offshore. Seventeen ships were boarded and some sixty-five hostages from six countries were taken. In total, thirty hostages were freed (usually after paying a ransom), seven escaped, three were rescued by Philippine security forces, and four were executed. Two others died during the attacks, while eight sailors escaped during the ship hijackings. Forty additional sailors were not taken hostage.

Crimes and terrorism

Abu Sayyaf has carried out numerous bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion activities. These include the Sipadan kidnappings in 2000, the Dos Palmas kidnappings of 2001 and the SuperFerry 14 bombing of 2004.

Kidnappings

Although the group has engaged in kidnapping hostages for ransom for many years, this means of financing grew dramatically beginning in 2014, providing funds for the group's rapid growth.

Kidnapping of journalists in the Philippines

ABS-CBN's Newsbreak program reported that Abu Sayyaf kidnapped at least 20 journalists between 2000 and 2008 (mostly foreign journalists). All of them were finally released after paying a ransom.

• Susan Enríquez was abducted by Abu Sayyaf while working in Basilan on April 20, 2000, for a few days in captivity.
• 10 foreign journalists in May 2000 were abducted,(7 Germans, 1 French, 1 Australian and 1 Danish, in Jolo, for 10 hours) and months later the German Andreas Lorenz of Der Spiegel magazine, in addition to journalist Maryse Burgot kidnapped for more than 25 days
• In July 2000, TV reporter ABS-CBN Maan Macapagal and cameraman Val Cuenca were abducted for four days.
• In January 2002 Arlyn de la Cruz, collaborator of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and TV reporter of Net 25.
• It was not until September 2002, when television reporter GMA-7 Carlo Lorenzo and cameraman Gilbert Ordiales.
• Philippine journalist Ces Drilon and news cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderrama were released unharmed after the ransom was paid.
• Jordanian television journalist Baker Atyani and his two Filipino teams were abducted in June 2012 by the militants of Abu Sayyaf who had tried to interview in the jungles of the Sulu Province. The two crew members were released in February 2013. The Al Arabiya news channel stated that its correspondent, Atyani, was handed over to the local governor ' s office on 4 December 2013. However, the police and the military were unable to determine whether Atyani had escaped from his captors or was released.

Jeffrey Schilling

On August 31, 2000, an American citizen and Muslim convert Jeffrey Schilling from Oakland, California, was captured in Jolo while visiting a terrorist camp with his new wife, Ivy Osani (cousin of Abu Sabaya, one of the rebel leaders) whom he had met online. ASG demanded a $10 million ransom. The rebels also sarcastically threatened to behead him in 2001 as a "birthday present" for the then Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who responded by declaring "total war". The beheading threat was withdrawn after Schilling's mother, Carol, flew to the Philippines and pleaded for mercy on local radio. On April 12, 2001, Filipino soldiers raided a rebel camp and rescued the American. The United States praised the Philippine government for freeing Schilling.

Many journalists criticized Schilling, who claims to have entered the camp voluntarily after being invited by his wife's cousin, a member of the Abu Sayyaf. Schilling was one of more than 40 hostages taken by the Abu Sayyaf in 2000, including 21 tourists and workers captured in a raid at Sipadan diving center in neighboring Malaysia. Many of the hostages were freed after Libya paid millions of dollars. A Libyan official stated that Schilling had visited the Jolo camp often before his capture. Philippine intelligence sources say he was interested in selling military equipment to the rebels, while the bandits accused him of being a CIA agent. At one point, Schilling reportedly went on a hunger strike to win his freedom.

Martin and Gracia Burnham

On May 27, 2001, an Abu Sayyaf raid ended in the kidnapping of about 20 people from Dos Palmas, an expensive resort in Bahia Honda, taking them north of Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan, which had been & #34;considered completely safe.' The most "valuable" hostages They were three Americans, Martín and Gracia Burnham, a missionary couple, and Guillermo Sobero, a Peruvian-American tourist who was later beheaded, after asking for a million dollars for his release. The hostages and kidnappers later returned to the territories. of Abu Sayyaf in Mindanao. According to Bowden, the leader of the raid was Abu Sabaya. According to Grace Burnham, she told her husband to "identify her kidnappers"; before authorities "as 'the Osama bin Laden Group,', but Burnham was unfamiliar with that name and stuck with "Abu Sayyaf. After returning to Mindanao, the Abu Sayyaf conducted numerous raids, including one that culminated in the Siege of Lamitan and "one on a coconut plantation called Golden Harvest; They took about 15 people captive there and then used bolo knives to cut off the heads of two men. The number of hostages rose and fell as some were rescued and freed, new ones taken, and others killed.

On June 7, 2002, approximately a year after the attack, Philippine army troops carried out a rescue operation in which Martin Burnham and Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap were killed. The remaining hostage was injured and the kidnappers escaped. In July 2004, Gracia Burnham testified at a trial of eight Abu Sayyaf members and identified six of the suspects as her captors, including Alhamzer Limbong, Abdul Azan Diamla, Abu Khari Moctar, Bas Ishmael, Alzen Jandul and Dazid Bayé. Burnham claimed that Filipino military officers were in cahoots with their captors and said that the Philippine Armed Forces "did not look for us... As time went by, we realized that they never looked for us.

Kidnapping of Father Bossi in 2007

On June 10, 2007, Italian priest Reverend Giancarlo Bossi was kidnapped near Pagadian, capital of the province of Zamboanga del Sur in the southern Philippines. Pope Benedict XVI called for his release. Bossi was released on July 19, 2007 in Karomatan, a Muslim town in Lanao del Norte province, allegedly after paying a ransom. Father Bossi died in Italy on September 23, 2012.

In December 2020, Samad Awang, alias Ahmad Jamal, of the Abdussalam kidnapping-for-ransom group, was killed in a shootout with government troops in Zamboanga City. Awang was reportedly involved in the kidnapping of Italian missionary Giancarlo Bossi in 2007, businessman Joel Endino in 2011 and teacher Kathy Kasipong in 2013.

Kidnapping of members of the Red Cross

On January 15, 2009, Islamists kidnapped delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Patikul, Sulu province, Philippines. Three ICRC workers had finished their field work in Sulu province, located in the south-west of the country, when they were kidnapped by an unknown group, later confirmed as the Albader Parad group. All three were eventually released. According to a CNN story, Parad was killed, along with five other militants, in an assault by Philippine marines in Sulu province on Sunday, February 21, 2010.

Kidnapping of Irish priest in 2009

On October 11, 2009, Irish Catholic missionary Michael Sinnott, 79, of Barntown, County Wexford was kidnapped from a closed compound in Pagadian, the capital of Zamboanga del Sur, the suspects were from ASG and some renegade members of the MILF. Six kidnappers forced the priest into a minivan and headed towards Santata. Lucía, where they were transferred to a boat. Sinnott had a heart condition and had no medication when he was kidnapped. In early November, a $2 million ransom was requested. On November 11, 2009, Father Sinnott was released in Zamboanga City. The Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland) stated that the Irish government did not pay any ransom.

Kidnapping of the Japanese treasure hunter

Japanese citizen Toshio Ito was kidnapped in Pangutaran, Sulu. At one point, Philippine police believed that the 'treasure hunter', a Muslim convert also known by his Muslim name Mamaito Katayama, was acting as an Abu Sayyaf cook, however this was disputed by other nations., including the United States, which included him on its list of kidnapped people. A classified document obtained by Rappler lists Ito first, saying he was held captive by Abu Sayyaf's top leader, Radullan Sahiron, Indanan, Sulu in early 2013.

Kidnapping of Malaysian gecko traders

On May 8, 2011, Malaysian gecko trader Mohammad Nasauddin Bin Saidin was kidnapped while hunting gecko (tuko) in Indanan, Sulu. Saidin was released on May 12, 2012.

Kidnapping of Indian citizen

On June 22, 2011, Indian citizen Biju Kolara Veetil was kidnapped by armed men while visiting his wife's relatives on the island of JolO. A ransom of 10 million dollars was demanded. Veetil later denied that he was released in August 2012 because he had converted to Islam during captivity.

Warren Rodwell

Warren Richard Rodwell, a former Australian Army soldier and university English professor, was shot in his right hand during his abduction, from his home in Ipil, Zamboanga-Sibúguey on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on December 5, 2011, being kidnapped by ASG members. Rodwell later had to have a finger amputated. Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead Rodwell. His ransom demand of $2 million was not met.

Both the Australian and Philippine governments had strict policies against paying ransoms. Australia formed a multi-agency task force to liaise with Rodwell's family and assist Philippine authorities. A blackout was imposed Filipino politicians helped negotiate the release. After payment of 94,000 Australian dollars for 'food and lodging' expenses for his brothers, Rodwell was released on March 23, 2013..

Arrests and murders

On June 16, 2014, suspects Jimmy Nurilla (alias Doc) and Bakrin Haris were arrested. The two reportedly worked under Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf leader Khair Mundos and Furuji Indama. Authorities believed Nurilla and Haris participated in Rodwell's kidnapping, as well as the separate kidnapping of U.S. citizen Gerfa. Yeatts Lunsman and his son Kevin in 2012. In January 2015, the Mindanao Examiner newspaper reported the arrest of Barahama Alí. Authorities believed that Nurilla and Haris participated in Rodwell's kidnapping, as well as the kidnapping by separated from US citizen Gerfa Yeatts Lunsman and her son Kevin in 2012. In January 2015, the Mindanao Examiner newspaper reported the arrest of Barahama Alí Sub-leaders of gangs linked to the kidnapping were the ones who kidnapped Rodwell, which were disguised as police officers and were finally handed over or sold by the kidnappers to Abu Sayyaf in the province of Basilan.

In May 2015, former Philippine National Police (PNP) officer Jun A. Malban, alias Michael Zoo, was arrested in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, for the crime of "Kidnapping for Ransom" #34;, after Rodwell identified him as the negotiator/spokesperson. Further investigation by the PNP revealed that Malban is the cousin of Abu Sayyaf leaders Khair and Borhan Mundos (both were arrested in 2014). The director of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) stated that Malban's arrest resulted from the close coordination of the PNP, National Bureau of Investigation and the Presidential Commission against Organized Crime with Malaysian counterparts and through Interpol. In May 2015, former Philippine National Police (PNP) officer Jun A. Malban, alias Michael Zoo, was arrested in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, for the crime of "Kidnapping for Ransom", after Rodwell identified him as the negotiator/spokesperson. Further investigation by the PNP revealed that Malban is the cousin of Abu Sayyaf leaders Khair and Borhan Mundos (both were arrested in 2014). The director of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) stated that Malban's arrest resulted from the close coordination of the PNP, Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and the Presidential Commission Against Organized Crime with Malaysian counterparts and through Interpol. In January 2018, Rodwell attended a court hearing for Malban and others in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, pursuant to a request by the Supreme Court to transfer his case for security reasons to a court in Manila or Zamboanga.

In August 2015, Edeliza Sumbahon Ulep, alias Gina Pérez, was arrested in the municipality of Trento, Agusan del Sur, during a joint search operation carried out between police and military forces. Ulep was named as the ransom courier in the kidnapping. In August 2016, The Manila Times reported on the arrest of the kidnapping-for-ransom group of Barahama Alih sub-leader Hasim Calon alias Husien (also a notorious drug trafficker), at his hideout in Tenan. town in the city of Ipil. Hasim Calon was involved in Rodwell's kidnapping. In early 2016, police forces killed former MILF leader Waning Abdulsalam in Singkilon village. Abdulsalam was one of the most wanted criminals in the southern Philippines and was connected to ASG. He was linked to the kidnappings of Rodwell in 2011, Irish missionary Michael Sinnott in 2009 in Pagadian City, and Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi in Zamboanga del Sur's Payao City in 2007. In March 2019, the forces of Combined security forces of the 44th Infantry Battalion, Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine Coast Guard arrested five members (Benhazer Anduhol, Solaiman Calonof, Nicanel Maningo, Jay- ar Abba Quartocruz and Hashim Lucas Samdani) of Barahama Alih Criminal Gang during drug operations with warrants in Barangay Tenan of Ípil City, Zamboanga-Sibuguey. Military sources allege that the Barahama Alih group was responsible for a series of kidnapping incidents in previous years, including the kidnapping of Australian citizen Warren Rodwell, Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi and some local Filipinos.

In February 2018, Malaysian regional intelligence sources reported that Abu Sayyaf deputy commander Nurhassan Jamiri was one of three gunmen killed in a shootout with police in Sabah. Jamiri was at the top of the Philippines' most wanted list and was implicated in dozens of kidnappings for ransom, including that of Rodwell. In March 2018, Jamiri was found alive when he and thirteen followers surrendered to authorities. in Basilan. Over the previous two years, many Abu Sayyaf bandits had surrendered to authorities in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. They were expected to perform better due to the regional government's Program Against Violence and Extremism (PAVE), designed to provide opportunities and interventions, including psychosocial sessions, medical check-ups, introduction to agricultural systems and exhibition tours outside the island provinces to facilitate the reintegration of ex-combatants into society. In April 2018, Rodwell praised the rendition and reintegration program, but said it would not interfere with the legal prosecution of charges already brought against anyone involved in his own kidnapping. In April 2018, Rodwell praised the rendition and reintegration program. reintegration, but said he would not interfere with the legal prosecution of charges already brought against anyone involved in his own kidnapping.

In June 2020, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported the murder of Mamay Aburi at the hands of government troops in Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay after authorities attended to serve an arrest warrant. Aburi was allegedly a sub-leader of a kidnapping-for-ransom group and had been linked to the Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf Group. The provincial director of the [Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Aburi was involved in the 2011 kidnapping of Australian citizen Warren Rodwell and the 2019 kidnapping of the Hyrons couple in Tukuran, Zamboanga Sibugay. In February of the following year, The Manila Times reported that Abu Sayyaf deputy leader Arrasid Halissam was shot dead when he opened fire on police who had an arrest warrant in Santa Maria town, Zamboanga City. Halissam was linked to numerous kidnappings such as that of the Australian adventurer Warren Rodwell, the Americans Gerfa Lunsmann and her son Kevin, the Chinese Yuan Lin Kai and Jian Luo, the South Korean Nwi Seong Hong and almost a dozen Filipinos. Halissam was also allegedly involved in the 2015 Zamboanga bombing that killed two people and injured more than fifty.