By RENE ACOSTA / BUSINESS MIRROR

A combined team of police and military intelligence agents arrested a Kenyan who is allegedly a member of an East African terrorist group affiliated with international terrorist the al-Qaeda and seized a gun and explosives from him.

Cholo Abdi Abdullah was nabbed at around 3:30 p.m. on Monday during a raid at the Rasaca Hotel in Iba, Zambales, by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and intelligence personnel from the National Police and the Army.

The arrest of Abdullah, which was made through the enforcement of a search warrant, was also backed by soldiers and policemen from other units of the military, the Police Regional Office 3 and Zambales Provincial Police Office.

In his report to CIDG  Director Maj. Amador Corpus, CIDG Region3 Chief Col. Christopher Abrahano said that the Kenyan yielded a .9mm pistol, a magazine, ammunition, a hand grenade, a homemade bomb and other bombmaking components.

Corpus said that based on their investigation, Abdullah is an alleged member of the Al Shabaab Group, an East African terrorist group affiliated with the al-Qaeda terror group.

He said the Al Shabaab Group has pledged its allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012 and is currently operating in East Africa.

“Accordingly, Abdullah is studying to be a pilot at All Asia Aviation Academy and is doing research on different aviation threats, aircraft hijacking and falsifying travel documents,” the CIDG said in a news statement.

Cases for violations of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and RA 9516 (Illegal Possession of Explosives) will be filed against Abdullah.

The arrest of the Kenyan was the first against any known foreign operative of the al-Qaeda or its foreign affiliated group in the country.