Suspected rebels rob bank, kill policeman

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

North Sumatra Police claimed on Tuesday that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) was behind a fatal robbery in Medan a day earlier.

The police came to the conclusion after seizing from a robbery suspect a razor blade on which the GAM symbol had been scratched, said North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Iwan Pandjiwinata.

The suspect, identified only as MH, 22, an Aceh resident, was arrested four hours after the 11:30 a.m. Monday robbery.

"We found indications of GAM membership on him, like a razor blade. Of the several GAM members we have arrested in other robbery cases, almost all of them have carried signs of GAM membership in their wallets," Iwan said.

MH and five others robbed the Kota Pinang branch of Bank Mandiri in south Medan on Monday. One policeman was killed and two others were injured.

Five of the robbers got away with Rp 1.9 billion (US$211,000), while MH was arrested and is being held at the Labuhan Batu Police station, about 350 kilometers south of Medan.

Police were pursuing the robbers when the car MH was driving hit a parked pickup truck and plunged into a ravine.

MH was trapped in the driver's seat, while the other five fled the scene.

Labuhan Batu Police chief of detectives Adj. Comr. Darfin Purba said he had asked the South Tapanuli Police for assistance in capturing the other perpetrators.

North Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Bambang Prihady said at least 150 armed robberies had occurred in the past 10 months in the province, with 12 robbers being shot dead and only 22 cases being solved. The remaining 128 cases are still being investigated.