Aceh Police Confirm Robber Officer Used Service Weapon

Aceh Regional Police Chief Inspector General Ruddi Setiawan has confirmed that the firearm used by a South Aceh Police officer, identified by the initials MZ, during a robbery was an official weapon belonging to the National Police. The officer is currently undergoing criminal investigation and will be processed through a police code of ethics hearing. “Yes, it was ours (the firearm used by the perpetrator). That is why he is a police officer,” Ruddi told reporters on Tuesday (21/7). Ruddi explained that preliminary investigations indicate the perpetrator acted out of desperation due to economic and financial problems. However, investigators are still looking deeper into the underlying motives for the officer’s actions. The robbery involving the police officer occurred at the Amin Setia Gold Shop on Jalan Merdeka No 126, Tapaktuan District, South Aceh, on Saturday (19/7). In CCTV footage that has been circulated, the perpetrator arrived on an automatic scooter. Upon arrival, the perpetrator, wearing a jacket and helmet, immediately brandished a long-barrelled firearm. He then smashed the shop’s display case and stole the jewellery inside before fleeing the scene. Police arrived shortly after the incident to process the crime scene.