Indonesian police arrested 72 individuals suspected of starting forest and peatland fires across the country, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency announced Sunday. The blazes have generated a harmful cloud known as a choking haze, which has crossed into Malaysia.
Authorities are investigating 89 forest and land fire cases spanning five provinces on Borneo and four on Sumatra. Mohammad Irhamni, director of special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency, stated that most suspects are accused of deliberately burning land to clear areas for plantations at a lower cost. Investigators are examining financial records to determine if companies funded or directed the land clearing, suggesting the probe may extend beyond those already arrested.
"We will not stop at the perpetrators on the ground," Irhami said. "We will determine who benefited from these activities and who was ultimately behind them." The suspects face potential penalties ranging from substantial fines to prison terms of up to 15 years.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Central Kalimantan province on Saturday, where over 7,600 hectares (18,700 acres) have burned. He urged authorities to control the haze and promised necessary government resources, including helicopters and water pumps, while vowing accountability for any contributing companies.
At least four companies in West Kalimantan are under investigation for allegedly using fire for land clearing. If found responsible for intentionally setting fires, they could face sanctions, including permit revocation, according to Prasetyo Hadi, head of the State Secretariat, who accompanied the president.
Smoke from the fires has blanketed parts of Borneo, where Indonesia’s Environment Ministry recorded more than 3,700 hot spots on Sunday. Fire activity has intensified in West, Central, and South Kalimantan provinces, with many blazes exacerbated by peatlands. This situation prolongs the hazardous haze in several regions.
In South Sumatra, more than 1,700 hot spots were detected, causing a dense haze and reducing visibility to as low as 10 meters (33 feet) in some areas. Cloud-seeding operations resumed over Kalimantan with 30 helicopters for water-bombing and aerial patrols, while another 22 helicopters were deployed to Sumatra.
Malaysia has experienced severe smoke from the fires, particularly in its eastern state of Sarawak. One district reported "very unhealthy" air quality on Friday, with eight others showing unhealthy readings. This led to the closure of nearly 600 schools, affecting approximately 200,000 students, according to the Sarawak government.