Riau Police Name Two Suspects in Bengkalis Forest and Land Fire Case
The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) of Riau Regional Police has uncovered an alleged criminal act of forest and land fire (Karhutla) within the HGU area of PT Teguh Karsa Wana Lestari (TKWL) in Bandar Jaya Village, Siak Kecil District, Bengkalis Regency. Two individuals with the initials MK and DJ have been named as suspects. Both are believed to have links to land management activities prior to the fire.
Director of Special Criminal Investigation at Riau Police, Senior Commissioner Ade Kuncoro, said the fire was discovered on Friday (7/8/2026) at around 1.30 p.m. Western Indonesia Time. Initial checks estimated the burned area at approximately four hectares.
“As soon as we received information about the fire, the team immediately went down to conduct checks and investigations. From the series of examinations and initial evidence we obtained, two people have been named as suspects,” said Ade in a statement on Wednesday (12/8/2026).
During the on-site examination, investigators found oil palm plants managed by local residents as well as a hut linked to one of the suspects. Police also obtained information that heavy machinery had been carrying out undergrowth clearing activities before the fire occurred.
According to Ade, all of these activities are now part of what investigators are examining in order to fully uncover the sequence of events leading up to the fire.
“We are investigating where the source of the fire came from, what caused it, how land management activities were carried out before the fire, who controlled and managed the land, and the possibility of motives or economic benefits from these activities,” he said.
Ade said his team is also paying attention to initial information that the fire point was located in an area said to have High Conservation Value (HCV). Investigators have taken coordinate points to confirm the position and extent of the burned area, which will subsequently be verified together with experts and relevant agencies.
Ade stressed that the case is being handled using a scientific investigation approach. This method is necessary so that the relationship between land management activities, the source of the fire, the blaze itself and the resulting ecological impact can be proven scientifically.
“We do not want to stop at identifying who was at the location when the fire occurred. The investigation must be able to answer the cause-and-effect relationship based on facts and scientific evidence, including how it has impacted the environment,” he asserted.
Investigators will next conduct a crime scene investigation together with experts and examine environmental, forestry and land fire specialists as well as other relevant parties.
“The status and function of the area will also be verified to determine the ecological value of the burned land,” said Ade.
In this case, both suspects are charged under Article 98 of Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management and/or Article 107 of Law Number 39 of 2014 on Plantations. Investigators will also send a Notice of Commencement of Investigation (SPDP) to the Riau High Prosecutor’s Office.
Ade assured that the investigation will not stop at naming the two suspects. The Riau Police Special Criminal Investigation Directorate is still developing the case to comprehensively identify parties who have links to or responsibility for the management of the area.
“We will examine all the facts. Whoever is later shown by the evidence to have links and can be held legally accountable will certainly be processed in accordance with applicable regulations,” said Ade.
Furthermore, Ade revealed that law enforcement against forest and land fires is part of the implementation of Riau Police’s Green Policing initiative. The handling of environmental crimes is directed not only at taking action against perpetrators, but also at protecting ecosystems and preventing recurring environmental damage.
“Forest and land fires are not merely a matter of fire and burned land. There is an ecosystem that must be protected and a responsibility to ensure that the damage does not keep recurring. Therefore, law enforcement must go hand in hand with efforts to preserve and restore the environment,” he concluded.
Investigators have examined 12 witnesses and seized two Hitachi excavators as well as a number of supporting documents as evidence.