FBI Ramps Up Search for Abductor in 1993 Philippine Kidnapping, $1 Million Bounty for Suspected Terrorist Raddulan Sahiron

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has intensified the manhunt for Raddulan Sahiron, a Filipino national wanted for his alleged part in the 1993 kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in the Philippines. With links to the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, Sahiron remains elusive, thought to be hiding out in the rugged terrain of his ancestral home in Patikul Jolo, Sulu, an area distant from the urban sprawl approximately 600 miles south of Manila. At age 5'6" with gray hair and black eyes, the FBI describes Sahiron as a slight-weight male with a distinctive physical feature—a right arm amputated above the elbow.

As per the FBI Los Angeles post on #WantedWednesday, Sahiron is wanted for his alleged involvement with the Abu Sayyaf Group, known officially as Al Harakat al Islamiyyah, in the abduction of an American from his home by a group of approximately 14 armed members. The victim was mercilessly taken from Simbahan, Pangutaran, Sulu, and subsequently held in a jungle encampment on the island of Jolo for nearly three weeks before being released.

The United States Department of State's Rewards For Justice Program has issued a bounty of up to $1 million for information leading to Sahiron's arrest. The FBI advises caution, labeling the suspect as armed and dangerous. Detailed information listed on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists page notes that Sahiron, who also goes by several aliases including Commander Putol, speaks Tausug and Arabic.

It was back in February 2007 when an indictment was filed against Sahiron in the United States District Court, District of Columbia. Since being charged with hostage-taking and aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done, the search for him has been ongoing. Despite the ordeal taking place decades ago, and an arrest warrant issued immediately on the same day of his indictment, Sahiron managed to rise through the ranks to become the overall leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group since 2005, further complicating efforts to bring him to justice.