Police link terror suspects to bank robbery, attack

North Sumatra Police announced it has linked members of the armed group killed and detained during an ongoing joint police and military operation to the recent CIMB Niaga bank robbery in Medan and the attack against a police station in Deli Serdang.

North Sumatra Police spokesman Snr. Comr. Baharuddin Djafar said on Monday that the joint operation has so far shot and killed six suspects believed to be involved in the bank robbery and the attack on Hamparan Perak police station.

The police, he said, have also detained three other suspects during the operation.

He said one of the killed suspects, Taufik Hidayat, was believed as the one, who had shot and killed police Mobile Brigade member First Brig. Imanuel Simanjuntak and seized his M-16 rifle during the CIMB Niaga bank robbery in Medan on Aug. 18.

On the fourth day operation on Monday, he said, no arrest was made on any of the five members of the armed group who are still on the run.

“But we are able to find a FN revolver owned by the suspect, who was killed in the river on Sunday,” said Baharuddin.

Separately, a terror suspect’s family member claimed on Monday that the suspect was under the police’s pressure when having to point out members of an armed group killed and detained in the joint operation belongs to a terrorist network.

Adil Akhyar, brother of terror suspect Khairul Qazali, said the police’s special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) antiterror unit took Khairul from Jakarta to the Bhayangkara police hospital in Medan, North Sumatra on Oct. 3.

Khairul was supposed to identify suspects killed and arrested during the joint police and military operation in Serdang Bedagai regency, he added.

He said Khairul was forcefully taken by Densus 88 to Medan to show him that the armed group had been paralyzed by security forces.

Adil said that Khairul had seen members of the paralyzed group and pointed them out as terrorists.

”According to him [Khairul], he knew some of them are involved in a terror network,” he said.

However, Adil raised doubt of his brother’s confession, believing he was under the Densus 88’s pressure.

“I believe that my brother was under the pressure of the Densus 88 when he made the confession and was offered a lenient sentence or release,” said Adil.

Khairul was caught in a raid at a house in Tanjung Balai on Sept. 19 by a Densus 88 team.

During the raid, the team shot and killed two terror suspects at Khairul’s house. The police then detained him and his wife, Kartini Panggabean, who was recently
released.

Baharuddin Djafar said the provincial police were unauthorized to interfere in the matter.

“The case is being handled by the Densus 88. We just arrest the suspects based on the available evidence,” he said, adding the Densus 88 would be professional in handling the case related to terrorism.