Police intelligence operatives have captured a leader of an extremist group composed of Muslim converts following a raid in his safehouse in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur.

Quoting reports from the PNP Intelligence Group, Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina, Philippine National Police spokesman, said the arrest of Khalil Pareja is a big blow to the local terrorist network since he is recognized as the leader of the extremist Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM).

The RSM reportedly has links not only with the Southeast Asia-based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) but also with Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda international terrorist group.

Pareja, whose real name is Dinno Amor Rosalejos and who also uses the aliases Abu Jihad and Al-Luzoni, was collared at 1:15 p.m. Friday in Sitio Tuca, Barangay Dawayan in Marawi City by combined elements of the PNP-IG and the Lanao del Sur police.

“Pareja belongs to the core group of RSM and it is believed that he took over the helm of and leadership of the terror group after the arrest of Hilarion ‘Akmad’ Santos in 2005,” said Espina.

Santos founded the RSM in 1995, with the group allegedly receiving funding from the al-Qaeda and JI in exchange for intelligence, refuge and manpower such as in the case of the foiled bombing of the US Embassy for which the JI reportedly gave P250,000 to the RSM.

The link between RSM and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), on the other hand, was established with Santos’ closeness to some ASG leaders such as Khadaffy Janjalani who was allegedly killed in a clash with Marine commandos in Sulu in 2006 and Jainal Sali, who was the number two man of the ASG before he was killed also in a clash in Sulu.

RSM was tagged in several bombing activities not only in Mindanao but also in Metro Manila, particularly the Superferry bombing in 2004 that killed at least 116 people.

“He (Pareja) is the brother-in-law and the most trusted man of Santos,” said Espina, quoting intelligence reports.

Espina said Pareja is one of the bigwigs in the local terrorism circuit with a P500,000 reward for his capture. He is also included in the wanted list of the US Department of the Treasury as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

The official said it took a while before the police chanced upon Pareja, a native of Cebu City. And when lawmen confirmed intelligence reports of his whereabouts, he was finally collared.

Armed with an arrest warrant issued by Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 60 Judge Marissa Macaraig-Guillen for a crime of rebellion in 2006, lawmen swooped down on his hideout and left him with no chance to escape or fight back.

Espina said there will be no opportunity for Pareja to be free again since the Makati court recommended no bail for the charge leveled against him.