Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest fires
Authorities said the suspects face up to 15 years in prison as investigators trace possible company financing behind the land-clearing fires.
- Indonesian authorities arrested 72 suspects suspected of starting forest and peatland fires on Borneo and Sumatra, with Mohammad Irhamni, director of special crimes at the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency, investigating 89 connected cases.
- Plantation owners and traditional farmers often burn land to clear areas for plantations at lower cost, Irhamni said. These recurring fires frequently strain relations between Indonesia and neighboring countries.
- Indonesia's Environment Ministry recorded more than 3,700 hot spots on Borneo and more than 1,700 in South Sumatra on Sunday, creating dense smoke that reduced visibility to only 10 meters in some areas.
- Following "very unhealthy" air quality readings Friday, Malaysia's Sarawak government closed nearly 600 schools, affecting about 200,000 students. Cloud-seeding operations resumed on Sunday with 30 helicopters deployed for water-bombing missions.
- Investigators are tracing financial records to determine whether companies financed the land clearing, signaling the probe could expand beyond those arrested. Officials in Jakarta stated, "We will not stop at the perpetrators on the ground.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Indonesia arrests 72 over forest fires as choking haze spreads to Malaysia
JAKARTA — Indonesian authorities have arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest and peatland fires as massive blazes across central and western Indonesia produced thick haze that spread into neighboring Malaysia.Indonesia has been battling widespread fires fueled by an intensifying El Niño pattern and a prolonged dry season, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).Mohammad Irhamni, director of special crimes at the Nati…
Associated Press News
Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest fires
Indonesian authorities have arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest and peatland fires. The fires have caused choking haze in central and west Indonesia.
The suspects are suspected of deliberately burning the land to open plantations with lower operational costs.
The Indon authorities have detained 72 people suspected of being involved in forest industries, and the teams are continuing their operations to try to control the flames.
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