Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest fires
Police said the suspects are linked to 89 fire cases and face fines or prison terms of up to 15 years.
- 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.
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Indonesian authorities have arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest and other fires, as huge blazes in central and western Indonesia create a suffocating haze.
Indonesia arrests 72 suspected of starting forest fires as haze persists
Indonesian authorities arrested 72 people suspected of starting some of the forest and peatland fires as huge blazes in central and west Indonesia triggered choking haze. Indonesia has been battling fires driven by an intensifying El Nino pattern and a prolonged dry season, generating dense smoke that crossed into Malaysia, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB. Fires are a regular problem in Indonesia that strain…
72 suspects arrested in Indonesia for starting fires as haze spreads to Malaysia
Indonesia has arrested 72 suspects over forest and peatland fires spreading haze across the region. The crackdown may widen to companies as El Niño and drought deepen a cross-border pollution crisis.
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…
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