The Daesh-linked Maute group operating in the Philippines has amassed an estimated 1.2 billion pesos ($23.7 million) in cash through looting, drug deals and other illegal activity, Arab News has learned.
The terror group launched an assault on Marawi, the only predominately Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines, in May.
A high-ranking government official in the Philippines told Arab News that Maute has amassed a vast fortune through looting banks and houses, stealing gold and jewelry, as well as from drug deals. This information, he said, was confirmed by a military general who is serving in Western Mindanao Command.
The official, who asked not to be named because he is not allowed to speak to media, said the military has drone footage that shows several sacks of money being loaded into a pickup truck. In this footage, he said, you can see one of the sacks falling down from the truck and paper bills scattered. The 1.2 billion pesos estimate was made based on the footage.
The military earlier quoted residents who were held hostage but managed to escape from the Maute group, as saying that they were forced to loot houses and government buildings in Marawi.
On July 22, 2017, the Philippine Congress granted President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to extend martial law on the Southern Island of Mindanao until the end of the year. This gives the military five more months to regain the city of Marawi from Daesh-affiliated fighters
source:Arab News
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