The National Police Reaffirm Commitment to Tackling Forest and Land Fires

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) reaffirmed its commitment to thoroughly investigating forest and land fire crimes in Indonesia. Law enforcement will not only target the perpetrators of the burning in the field, but also those who ordered the act or benefited from the crime.

Director of the Special Crimes Investigation Directorate, at the National Police Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim Polri), Brigadier General Moh. Irhamni, said Polri would not hesitate to take firm action if investigations uncover evidence of intentional acts or negligence that constitutes a criminal offense.

“We also reaffirm that we will continue to pursue all perpetrators, those who ordered the acts, and all parties who benefit from forest and land fire crimes,” Irhamni said at a press conference in Jakarta on Sunday, August 23, 2026.

He said law enforcement was necessary because forest and land fire crimes have far-reaching impacts. Deliberately setting fires to clear land for personal gain can cause significant losses to the wider community.

Law enforcement is also necessary to provide legal certainty and create a deterrent effect to prevent perpetrators from repeating their offenses.

“Polri will take firm action against those responsible in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations,” he said.

If an investigation uncovers indications of a criminal offense, the case will be elevated to the investigation stage, followed by witness examinations, the seizure of evidence, and the determination of suspects based on the available evidence.

Irhamni explained that, to date, Polri has issued around 89 police reports related to forest and land fires across nine regional police departments, with 72 people named as suspects. Polri stressed that enforcement efforts will be carried out professionally and based on evidence, as part of efforts to provide legal certainty and prevent forest and land fires from recurring in Indonesia.