PESHAWAR, Feb 26: Police arrested and charged three men with robbing more than $1 million from a branch of a Saudi-owned bank here, leaving a note saying they were stealing for Al Qaeda, an official said on Sunday.

Police now believed that the Al Qaeda link was a ruse aimed at misleading investigators, said Peshawar police chief Habibur Rahman.

One of the suspects, Mohammed Sibtain, was arrested at a roadblock on the outskirts of Peshawar within hours of the daylight robbery at the main branch of the Al aisal bank there on Saturday, Mr Rahman said.

During his interrogation, Sibtain identified two accomplices as Mohammed Iqbal and Rafi Ullah who were arrested later on Saturday in a house in Peshawar, Mr Rahman said.

Police seized four pistols, four cell phones that had been taken from employees at the bank, as well as $520,000 and 207,500 in Pakistani rupees from Sibtain’s car, according to Mr Rahman.

They have been charged with robbery at gunpoint, taking hostages and terrorising people, Saeed Wazir, a Peshawar police officer, said.

Two robbers, dressed up as security guards, sneaked into the bank and held staff hostage while they stole $950,000 and Rs5.3 million, police said.

They chanted, “Long live Al Qaeda!” and “Down with America!” during the robbery and left a note on a bank vault that said: “We are stealing money for Al Qeda as our financial network has been smashed,” according to Mr Wazir.

Mr Wazir said there was no evidence to charge the men with any terrorism-related offence, although they would be tried in an anti-terrorism court.

Police are looking to recover the remaining stolen money and other suspects, he said. — AP