An army deserter is being held by police for murder and two armed robberies in a city in southwest China.

Police have seized Wu Yong and his accomplices, the Public Security Bureau of Yibin City, Sichuan Province, announced on Monday afternoon, yesterday's Chengdu Business Daily reported.

Wu allegedly killed a sentry at a satellite observatory in Yibin six years ago.

In February he and his accomplices allegedly robbed an expressway toll station following a similar raid in November last year.

Police said they caught Wu and his accomplice, Tian Yuntao, 42, on March 24 near a toll station on the Yibin-Shuifu Highway planning a third robbery.

Wu, 31, a Yibin native, served with the army in Handan City, Hebei Province, after joining the army in December 1999, but subsequently went AWOL.

Wu allegedly killed the sentry at the Yibin Satellite Observatory on September 11, 2003 and attacked a government guard at Yibin City on October 2 the same year.

On February 23 this year, Wu and another two armed accomplices, allegedly broke into a highway toll station, stealing 49,800 yuan (US$7,284) in cash.

Wu is allegedly also linked to the robbery of a toll station on November 11 last year. Two members of Wu's gang, Zhang Zhishun, 32, and Wei Huasong, 35, are already in custody, police said.

(Shanghai Daily April 1, 2009)