Indonesia Forest Fire Suspects Rise to 89
The number of suspects in the forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra has increased. Police are still pursuing corporate perpetrators.
The Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police has identified 17 new suspects in forest fire cases across Sumatra and Kalimantan since February 2026, bringing the total number of suspects to 89. Director of Specific Crime Directorate, Brigadier General Mohamad Irhamni, stated that the increase in suspects is due to more thorough handling of cases by field teams.
Irhamni also mentioned that the police are investigating the possibility of corporate involvement behind the forest and land fire actions. The Indonesian National Police Crime Investigation Department is exploring whether the farmers or day laborers clearing land for farming or planting oil palms acted independently or were ordered and funded by others.
The Ministry of Environment has mapped 42 companies in Kalimantan suspected of triggering the fires, with a dozen of these corporations strongly suspected of violations.
Brief written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
