BANDAf ACEH (Indonesia), May 29: An Indonesian policeman has been publicly caned for gambling, an official said on Wednesday, the first police officer in the province of Aceh to receive the punishment.

A 500-strong crowd watched as Irwanuddin, who goes by one name, received six strokes on a stage outside a mosque in the town of Sabang, which lies on a small island, said public prosecutor Darwin.

A court in Aceh, the only Indonesian province to enforce strict Islamic law, found him guilty of taking bets for a lucky numbers game.

Two other civilians were also found guilty but they fled and were not caned alongside the policeman on Tuesday, said Darwin.

Irwanuddin was originally due to be caned on Thursday last week, but a group of police officers intervened and took him away before the punishment could be carried out.

However, the incident provoked a public outcry which forced the police to hand over the convicted officer.

Aceh, on the northwestern tip of the Indonesian archipelago, was granted broad autonomy under a 2005 deal to end a long-running separatist conflict, including the right to implement sharia law.—AFP