PNP Chief Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa held a media briefing on January 22, 2018 as the PNP took into custody a 64-year old Iraqi man named TAHA MOHAMED AL-JABOURI who came to the country in August last year during the height of the 31st ASEAN Summit activities and has since evaded the radar after the Iraqi Embassy in Manila alerted the Philippine intelligence community of his presence.
The Iraqi Embassy described Al-Jabouri as a chemist with knowledge on explosives and is known to have close ties with militant extremist movements in the Middle East.
On Saturday night, January 20, an information was received thru the Barangay Information Network (BIN) of the presence of a suspicious-looking person with Middle Eastern features, fitting the description and photographs provided by the Iraqi Embassy, in Barangay Malabanias, Angeles City, Pampanga.
A few hours later upon receipt of the report, operatives of the PNP Intelligence Group conducted follow-up operations at 3:00 AM on Sunday, January 21, to verify the information from the BIN and found Mr. Al Jabouri in the area toting a large black luggage.
Based on the travel documents, PNP investigators found out that Al-Jabouri’s 90-day Visa valid only from August 10, 2017 to November 9, 2017 had already expired.
During questioning, Al-Jabouri revealed that he served as a consultant for "Hamas" Organization in Damascus, Syria and moved to Istanbul, Turkey in 2012. He also said that he traveled to Manila to meet a Chinese business group that hires him as a consultant.
The PNP-IG is coordinating closely with the Bureau of Immigration and the Iraqi Embassy for further disposition of Mr. Al-Jabouri.
