Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Cyber Crime unit of Criminal Investigation Division (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police has arrested a man, identified by his initials AR (31), suspected of inciting a run on the bank through a social media campaign that went viral.

The spokesperson of the National Police, Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar, said here on Saturday that the suspect was arrested in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Thursday.

"He is a teacher in a vocational school in Penjaringan, North Jakarta," Amar stated. AR was, in fact, arrested by the police after school.

He was arrested for running a campaign on social media, asking Muslims to simultaneously withdraw their money from banks all at once and participate in the December 2 demonstration as a form of protest against the governments handling of a blasphemy case.

The police spokesperson informed that AR had also uploaded a photograph on his social media account showing him lying on a bed alongside stacks of money, organized to read "2 Des."

"This (post) was very provocative, uninformed. Based on this post, AR has been arrested and will be investigated," Amar disclosed.

The provocateur is suspected to have ignited a financial crisis as he urged people to trigger a run on the bank, a situation where a large number of bank costumers withdraw their money or deposits simultaneously.

However, AR has not been detained but the police has made it obligatory upon him to compulsorily report.

The suspect faces a maximum penalty of more than five years imprisonment if found guilty.

The campaign provoking a money rush on the banks had become widespread on the social media before plans for protests on November 25 and December 2 against the governments handling of a blasphemy case against Jakartas Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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