Riau Police Name Two Suspects in HGU Land Forest Fire Case in Bengkalis
Riau Regional Police have uncovered an alleged criminal act of forest and land fire in the HGU area of PT TKWL, Bandar Jaya Village, Siak Kecil District, Bengkalis Regency. Two individuals with the initials MK and DJ have been named as suspects.
Director of Special Criminal Investigation for Riau Police, Senior Commissioner Ade Kuncoro Ridwan, stated the fire was discovered on Friday (7/8/2026) at around 1.30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time. Initial checks estimate the burned area covers approximately four hectares.
“Upon receiving information about the fire, the team immediately went down to conduct checks and investigations. From the series of examinations and the initial evidence we obtained, two people have been named as suspects,” said Senior Commissioner Ade in his statement on Wednesday (12/8/2026).
In this case, both suspects are charged under Article 98 of Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management and/or Article 107 of Law Number 39 of 2014 concerning Plantations.
Ade confirmed the investigation will not stop at naming the two suspects. The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of Riau Police is still developing the case to fully identify parties connected to or responsible for the management of the area.
“We will investigate all the facts. Whoever is later found, based on evidence, to be connected and can be held legally accountable will certainly be processed according to applicable regulations,” he added.
During the scene examination, investigators found oil palm seedlings managed by the community and a hut linked to one of the suspects. On the other hand, police also obtained information about heavy equipment activity clearing undergrowth before the fire occurred.
According to Ade, all these activities are now part of the investigators’ deep dive 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 conducted before the fire, who controlled and managed the land, and the possibility of motives or economic benefits from these activities,” he said.
The investigation is also paying attention to initial information that the fire hotspot is located in an area with High Conservation Value. Investigators have taken coordinate points to ascertain the position and extent of the burned area, which will subsequently be verified with experts and relevant agencies.
Ade stressed that the case handling uses a scientific investigation approach. This method is necessary so that the relationship between land management activities, the fire source, the blaze, and the resulting ecological impact can be scientifically proven.
“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 impacts the environment,” he asserted.
Investigators will next conduct a crime scene investigation with experts and examine environmental, forestry, and land fire experts, as well as other related parties.
“The status and function of the area will also be verified to determine the ecological value of the burned area,” said Ade.
The 2000 Police Academy graduate added that law enforcement against forest and land fires is part of the Riau Police’s Green Policing implementation. Environmental crime handling 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 just a matter of fire and scorched land. There is an ecosystem that must be protected and a responsibility to ensure the damage does not keep recurring. Therefore, law enforcement must go hand in hand with efforts to protect and restore the environment,” he concluded.