"We arrested them at 1:30 a.m. local time when a joint Madiun police and military team was conducting an operation or monitoring the 626 rest area of the Madiun toll road in Saradan region. They were supposedly heading for Jakarta to participate in the May 22 mass protest," Madiun Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Ruruh Wicaksono notified the press on Tuesday.
The police interrogated the detainees over their recruitment and the one coordinating their trip to Jakarta, he revealed.
The Madiun Police have stationed some 300 officers to conduct an operation in four regions on May 19-21 to restrict people of East Java from heading to Jakarta for a mass protest known as the "people power" movement scheduled to be staged on May 22 in front of the office of the General Election Commission (KPU).
In the meantime, the Indonesian Police Headquarters raised the national security alert to the highest level in line with the KPU declaring the election results in the wee hours of Tuesday.
"That is right that information was received from the National Police Chief's Operational Assistant, Inspector General Martuani Sormin, that today, Alert 1 has been issued," Brigadier General Dedi Prasetyo, spokesman of the Indonesian Police, remarked.
Moreover, the regional police are required to maintain vigil and take necessary precautionary measures if the need arises.
Garut and Tasikmalaya Police on Monday evening until Tuesday also conducted an operation to stop masses from going to Jakarta for the mass protest.
The Garut Police detained six people aboard a minivan suspected to be en route to Jakarta for the protest.
The KPU, on Tuesday, at 1:28 a.m. local time, announced the results of the presidential elections organized across the country's 34 provinces and 130 overseas offices, on April 17, 2019.
Incumbent Joko Widodo secured 85,607,362 votes, or 55.50 percent, while rival pair Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pocketed 68,650,239 votes, or 44.50 percent.
Several parties have refused to validate the vote count results and leveled allegations of fraud against the election executors. Subianto's supporters had decided to hold a mass protest or "people power" movement on May 22.
The Indonesian Police had earlier called on the public to not hold a mass protest.
Translator: Louis RS, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
