A Total Of 34 Karhutla Perpetrators In Riau Were Arrested

Joint officers while cooling the forest and land fires in Riau some time ago. (ANTARA).

PEKANBARU - A total of 34 perpetrators of forest and land fires (karhutla) were arrested by the Riau Police during January-September 2023.

"Of the 34 suspects, there are 35 cases or cases handled by investigators. Most of them are handled by the Rokan Hilir (Rohil) Police, namely 11 suspects," said Head of Sub-Directorate for Tipidter of the Riau Police Ditreskrimsus, Kompol Andrie Setiawan, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, October 4.

Of the 34 perpetrators arrested were related to 35 cases with the highest number of cases handled by the Rokan Hilir Police with 10 cases and 11 suspects. Furthermore, Indragiri Hilir Police 6 suspects with 6 cases, Dumai 6 suspects with 6 cases, and Bengkalis 3 suspects with 6 cases.

Next, the Kuansing Police said they said they handled 4 cases with 4 suspects, Pekanbaru Police 1 suspect, Rokan Hulu 1 person. Meanwhile, the Pelalawan Police handled 2 suspects with 1 case.

"A number of case files have been transferred to the prosecutor's office, but the cases that ensnared the corporation are currently nil," he said.

Meanwhile, Riau BPBD Head Edy Afrizal said that currently there are still land fires in a number of areas, but forest and land fires in Riau do not cause smog.

"The smoke that was felt until Pekanbaru was sent from South Sumatra. The smoke caused by forest and land fires in Riau did not spread anywhere, because the joint team was quickly extinguished," said Edy.

Edy said the area of burned land in Riau Province throughout 2023 reached 1,906 hectares (Ha) that caught fire. The total area of land burned was 30 September 1,906 ha.

"The widest land fire was in Bengkalis 393 hectares, then in Indragiri Hulu 308 Ha, Indragiri Hilir 255 Ha and Rokan Hilir 236 Ha. Then followed by other areas with numbers below 200 Ha caught fire. The burned land is at least 18 Ha, namely Kuantan Singingi," explained Edy.

Meanwhile, there are currently two water bombing helicopters on standby in Riau. Whereas previously there were 5, helicopters in Riau but they were diverted to South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan.