Central Kalimantan Police Names 8 Suspects in Tumbang Nusa Land Fire English: Central Kalimantan Police Names 8 Suspects in Tumbang Nusa Land Fire

PALANGKA RAYA - Central Kalimantan Police have named eight land owners as suspects in a case of land burning in the Tumbang Nusa area, Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan.

"From the results of the preliminary examination, they opened the land by burning," said Central Kalimantan Police Chief Inspector General Iwan Kurniawan in Palangka Raya, Thursday, July 23, reported by ANTARA.

Iwan explained that the eight suspects were land owners who had Land Certificate (SKT) and were in one stretch, but each controlled a different land area.

According to him, the determination of the suspect was based on the results of the Pulang Pisau Police investigation regarding the cause of forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Tumbang Nusa area.

The Central Kalimantan Police are also continuing to investigate the case to ensure that no other parties are involved in burning land.

"We want to give a deterrent effect to the perpetrators. During the investigation process, the land that was burned should not be used first," he said.

He said that all the land that was the object of the case had been determined in the status quo and police lines had been installed to support the investigation process.

This step, continued Iwan, is a form of police assertiveness in cracking down on land arson perpetrators which caused the forest and peat fires in Central Kalimantan.

"Until now, no facts have been found that point to the involvement of other parties. However, we are still developing the investigation to uncover the possibility of other perpetrators," he said.

Meanwhile, efforts to extinguish the fire in the Tumbang Nusa area are still being carried out by the Karhutla Task Force. Previously, the fire had been successfully extinguished on an area of about 4.74 hectares, but it reappeared allegedly due to embers still stored below the surface of the peat.

Iwan said the characteristics of peat land allowed the embers to last a long time and re-ignite when the weather was hot.

Therefore, the joint personnel continue to carry out extinguishing, land patrols, air patrols, and checking every hot spot detected so that the fire does not spread.

"I have ordered all members, if there is a hotspot, to immediately go to the location to ensure the conditions on the ground. If a fire does occur, then the handling must be carried out immediately so that the fire does not spread," said Iwan.