Suspected rebels rob bank, kill policeman

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.