Ten Named as Suspects in Jambi Forest and Land Fires
The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Jambi Regional Police has named ten people as suspects in forest and land fire (karhutla) cases handled by six district police forces up to 27 August 2026.
Director of Special Criminal Investigation at Jambi Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Taufik Nurmandia, said all the suspects are individuals suspected of clearing land for plantations by burning.
“Of the ten suspects handled by the district police forces, the total area of land they burned is 17.25 hectares and all of them cleared land for private plantations,” Taufik said in Jambi on Saturday (29/8), as quoted from Antara.
One case is being handled by Muaro Jambi Police with suspect S, a resident of Rukam, Kumpeh District, Muaro Jambi Regency, who is suspected of burning five hectares of land.
West Tanjung Jabung Police are handling five cases with five suspects. They are JS and PS, residents of Muara Danau, who are suspected of burning two hectares of land, as well as F and SS, each suspected of burning one hectare of land.
Meanwhile, East Tanjung Jabung Police have named S, a resident of Geragai, as a suspect for allegedly clearing plantation land by burning in Teluk Dawan, East Tanjung Jabung Regency.
Tebo Police are handling two cases with suspects H and Y, residents of Suo-Suo, Sumay District, Tebo Regency. Both are suspected of burning more than one hectare of land for plantations.
Sarolangun Police are handling one case with suspect B, a resident of Limun, Sarolangun Regency. Meanwhile, Merangin Police have named AA, a resident of West Bangko, Merangin Regency, as a suspect.
Both suspects are alleged to have cleared land by burning approximately one hectare each.
The suspects are charged under Law Number 39 of 2014 on Plantations, Law Number 41 of 1999 on Forestry, and Law Number 6 of 2023 on the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 on Job Creation into law.
According to data from the Jambi Regional Police Public Relations Division, from January to 27 August 2026 there were 4,682 hotspots recorded, with a total burned area reaching 954.41 hectares.
The largest burned area was recorded in Muaro Jambi Regency at 302.93 hectares, followed by West Tanjung Jabung at 214.40 hectares.
Furthermore, burned land in Sarolangun Regency reached 143.61 hectares, Batang Hari 95.53 hectares, East Tanjung Jabung 88.88 hectares, Tebo 84.76 hectares, Bungo 14 hectares, and Merangin 10.30 hectares.
Taufik said Jambi Regional Police and its ranks continue to enforce the law against perpetrators of forest and land burning while strengthening prevention efforts through education and public outreach.
“Prevention efforts continue through appeals and public outreach. On the ground, Jambi Regional Police and district police forces also continue to work in synergy with the TNI, regional governments, BPBD, and all relevant agencies in handling, extinguishing, and cooling down at fire locations,” he said.
He called on all elements of society to jointly prevent forest and land fires by not clearing land using burning methods, as this can damage the environment and disrupt public health, community activities, and the economy.
Jambi Regional Police are also intensifying patrols in vulnerable areas, monitoring hotspots, handling fire locations, and enforcing the law against every form of forest and land burning.