Military policeman arrested for selling arms to rebels
Military policeman arrested for selling arms to rebels
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): A military police member has been
arrested for alleged arm sales to the separatist rebel group GAM,
the military chief here said on Wednesday.
Chief of Teuku Umar Military Command Col. Syarifudin Tipe said
the suspect, identified as Pvt. Zulkifli, was apprehended in a
predawn sweep of weaponry conducted by Police Mobile Brigade
personnel in Koala Batea, South Aceh regency.
"Police arrested him because he was carrying a pistol although
he was off duty," Syarifudin said, adding that the arresting
police officers did not believe his explanation.
Zulkifli was returning to his hometown of Palangka Raya, the
capital of Central Kalimantan.
Syarifudin ordered Zulkifli's detention following a report of
missing weapons belonging to the local military police on Monday.
During questioning, Zulkifli admitted to stealing six M-16
semiautomatic rifles and two FN pistols, which he sold to GAM
members for Rp 80 million. A check of Zulkifli's bank account
confirmed the transaction.
"The suspect could face the death sentence for selling weapons
to an enemy of the state," Syarifudin said.
GAM spokesman Ismail Syahputra said in Lhokseumawe that he did
not know whether the organization bought weapons from Zulkifli.
But he admitted that there were some arm purchases from military
personnel in Aceh and Jakarta, as well as foreign dealers.
Violence continued to rock the restive province on Wednesday.
The office of Aceh Jeumpa district was burned down by an
unidentified group at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday. All documents
were destroyed in the fire as fire engines only arrived three
hours later.
Three incidents involving unidentified armed civilians
occurred in the last two days in northern and central Aceh,
claiming two lives.
Sulaiman, 35 and Simin, 48, whom local residents knew as
military informers, were found dead in Bukit district, Central
Aceh. Witnesses said the two men were abducted on Monday night by
four unidentified men.
Also on Tuesday, a group of armed masked men broke into the
local post office in Beureunen, Pidie regency, and stole Rp 230
million (US$33,000) in cash which was intended to pay the monthly
allowances of retired civil servants. The local police chief, Lt.
Col. Endang Emiqail, said the robbers seized the office's keys
from office head T. Amirsyah, who was held hostage along with his
family during the robbery.
In Dewantara district, North Aceh, three armed men hijacked
and burned a bus belonging to Aceh Asean Fertilizer early
Wednesday. North Aceh Police chief Lt. Col. Syafii Aksal
suspected the armed civilians were part of GAM.
The bus was on its way to pick up the firm's employees in
Lhokseumawe when the group suddenly emerged and stopped it. They
demanded the driver head to the Malikul Saleh University campus.
(50/51/04/sur)