The police in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra, have arrested a senior high school student for allegedly placing a black backpack -- which had “Lailaha Illallah (There is no deity but God) there’s a bomb, you die!” written on it -- in front of a supermarket in the city.

The police arrested the student, identified as IAN, 17, of Jl. Pattimuran, Tomuan subdistrict, East Siantar, on Sunday night.

Pematang Siantar police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Heribertus Ompusunggu said the suspect had been arrested at a friend’s house.

“We solved the bomb prank case in just one day. The perpetrator is a student,” Heribertus said on Monday.

Based on the preliminary investigation, he said, the student admitted that he only did it for fun and claimed that he was not involved in a terror organization.

Heribertus added that the prank had sent jitters down the spines of local residents and the police would charge the suspect under Article 6 of the Law on Terrorism that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The backpack was found in front of a supermarket on Jl. Melanton Siregar, Pematang Siantar, on Saturday. The police’s bomb squad later found out that it only contained a flower pot. (swa)