South Kalimantan Tapin Police Set Farmers Suspected Of Forest And Land Fires

Tapin Police Chief AKBP Sugeng Priyono (second from the left) announced the determination of the suspect in forest and land fires (karhutla) in Rantau, Tapin Regency, South Kalimantan, Tuesday (26/9/2023). (ANTARA/M Fauzi Fadilah)

Tapin - Members of the Tapin Police, South Kalimantan have named a suspect in forest and land fires (karhutla) against Ilmi farmers (41) for burning their own land to plant chilies in Bitahan Village, Lokpaikat District, Tapin Regency.

Tapin Police Chief, AKBP Sugeng Priyono, said the fire spread to the surrounding area and also scorched an unused chicken coop belonging to a Village-Owned Enterprise in Binderang Village on Friday (22/9).

"It expands, causing forest and land fires covering an area of approximately 5 thousand square meters along with one chicken coop," said Sugeng in Rantau, Tapin Regency, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 26.

Sugeng revealed that the suspect deliberately cleared the land by burning with the intention of saving costs for planting chilies.

"This perpetrator was unable to extinguish the fire," he said.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Tapin Police, AKP Haris Wicaksono, said that there was no restorative justice related to the case of forest and land fires (karhutla) that ensnared Ilmi.

"Karhutla ini merupakan kasus menonjol dan menjadi atensi nasional bahkan internasional. Ancaman hukuman sangat berat," ujarnya.

Tersangka Ilmi, kata Haris, dijerat pasal 187 ayat (1) KUHPidana dengan ancaman hukuman kurungan penjara maksimal 12 tahun penjara.

Haris revealed that throughout 2023 there were already two farmers who were caught in the forest and land fires case, previously Sukarno (43) for burning land to plant cassava on the edge of Jalan Lintang, North Tapin District on Wednesday (30/8).

"We urge the public to jointly prevent and socialize the impact of the danger of this forest and land fire," he said.