T

he police have disclosed that illegal arms circulating in Aceh are believed to have been smuggled in from neighboring Malaysia.

The police made the statement on Thursday following the arrest of two suspects linked to an alleged firearms shipment to Aceh via Belawan seaport in neighboring North Sumatra.

The police said that Mak Nooh, alias Mak Nor, an Acehnese living in Malaysia, had organized the arms shipment.

North Sumatra Police Intelligence and Criminal directorate State Security division head Adj. Sr. Comr. Heri Susyanto said that the police had named Mak Nooh a suspect in the arms smuggling case after questioning Syaiful Amri, one of the two suspects.

Heri said that Syaiful and his colleague Wahyudi had initially planned to pick up a package containing firearms sent by Mak Nooh at Belawan Port, near Medan, on Jan. 7. However, on the way to the port both were intercepted by the police.

Syaiful and Wahyudi, both from East Aceh, were arrested by a Langkat Police traffic police officer in Hinai district, Langkat regency, on Jan. 7.

The officers confiscated from the suspects two FN pistols and 18 bullets.

Their arrest came in the wake of a string of mysterious shootings in Aceh that have claimed 17 lives since late last year.

Heri said that Syaiful and Wahyudi had obtained the revolvers and bullets from Mak Nooh.

“Two days before they intended to fetch the arms package at Belawan Port, Mak Nooh met Syaiful and promised him that he would dispatch arms and crystal meth to Aceh.

“Mak Nooh gave the two revolvers and the bullets to Syaiful for protection,” Heri told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Heri, who leads the investigation into the case, said that Mak Nooh and Syaiful had agreed to meet again at Belawan Port during the hand-over of the arms and crystal meth.

He added that Mak Nooh had intended to hand over the weapons and crystal meth directly to Syaiful.

“Mak Nooh was believed to be around Belawan Port then. Mak Nooh had initially planned to contact Syaiful upon his arrival in Belawan. However, Syaiful has received no contact from Mak Nooh since he was arrested. They have lost contact,” said Heri, who acknowledged that it may be difficult to trace the whereabouts of Mak Nooh because the communication link had been cut.

Despite that, added Heri, the police would work together with the Malaysian Police to capture Mak Nooh.

“Mak Nooh is regarded as a member of an illegal arms smuggling syndicate. He is believed to be the one who has been dispatching illegal weapons to Aceh so far,” Heri said.

Syaiful told the police that he had known Mak Nooh for a long time. However, he denied that he was part of the illegal arms syndicate in Aceh.

Syaiful was described as a former criminal and is affiliated with the NGO Peduli Hamba Laeeh.

Heri added that some members of the NGO were former Aceh Freedom Movement (GAM) combatants and criminals. According to Heri, the NGO was founded independently, but its activities provide information to officials in Aceh.