Armed men rob state banks

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Armed men stormed branches of state Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and provincial administration-owned Bank Pembangunan Daerah (BPD) in Bireuen regency, northern Aceh, making away with a total of Rp 43 million on Wednesday, an officer said.

The deputy chief of the special police operation Cinta Meunasah, Supt. Yatim Suyatmo, said the men stole Rp 21 million from the BRI branch in Samalanga, and Rp 22 million from the BPD branch in Glumpang Dua.

Suyatmo suspected the men who committed the robberies were members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

However, the GAM commander in Bireuen, Darwis Djeunieb, denied the movement was responsible for the robberies. He hinted that the suspects in Wednesday's robberies were trained by the military and the police.

Suyatmo said the first robbery, which occurred at the BRI branch in the morning, was carried out by four armed men. Later in the afternoon, another four armed men robbed the BPD branch. (50/lup)