Firm on Forest Fire Enforcement, East OKU Police Arrest 6 Suspects in August 2026
East OKU Police of the South Sumatra Regional Police have shown an unwavering commitment to taking firm action against environmental offenders. Throughout August 2026, East OKU Police Chief AKBP Lalu Hedwin Hanggara and his ranks successfully apprehended six suspects in forest and land fire (karhutla) cases.
“A total of six people have been detained as suspects in karhutla cases this August,” asserted AKBP Lalu Hedwin while personally leading the case disclosure press conference at East OKU Police Headquarters on Thursday (27/8/2026).
The latest disclosure targeted three residents of Sukomulyo Village, Martapura District, identified as S (33), AA (25), and AF (24). The three were caught red-handed after burning 1,000 square metres of scrubland along the edge of the Trans-Sumatra Highway in Keromongan Village, Martapura District. From the location, officers seized a wood-cutting machine, spray tank, machete, pertalite fuel, and gas lighters.
AKBP Lalu Hedwin explained that the enforcement action in Martapura began with a public report that was swiftly responded to by the Special Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigation Division in the field.
“This latest disclosure stemmed from public information regarding land-burning activity. Members of the Special Crimes Unit immediately moved to the scene on the edge of the Trans-Sumatra Highway and found the three suspects at the location of 0.1 hectares of land that had already been burned,” said AKBP Lalu Hedwin.
From interrogation results, the three suspects admitted to burning the cleared scrubland using gas lighters on the orders of the landowner.
Prior to the case disclosure in Martapura, the East OKU Police Criminal Investigation Division had also detained three other karhutla suspects. The three were Yosef Aditya Putra (19), Johan Sandra (38), and Oxtra Birianda (27), who were arrested after burning a land area within the PT Musi Hutan Persada (MHP) concession in Banu Ayu Village, BP Peliung District.
This massive law enforcement effort runs in line with mitigation measures instructed by South Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Sandi Nugroho. In addition to taking legal action, East OKU Police continue to prioritise cross-sector collaboration with the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) and the wider community in preventing haze disasters, ranging from joint patrols at 116 vulnerable points, direct firefighting operations on peatland, to holding Istisqa prayers for rain.
“Karhutla prevention efforts cannot be carried out by us alone. Strong synergy is needed between the police, the military, Forkopimda, the district government, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, and all levels of society and fire-awareness groups so that the land of East OKU remains protected,” said AKBP Lalu Hedwin.
AKBP Lalu Hedwin also issued a firm appeal to all residents to stop opening or clearing land by burning.