Officers from the Mandiangin Police arrested six residents caught red-handed clearing land through the slash-and-burn method in Mandiangin district, Sarolangun regency, at 2:30 p
fficers from the Mandiangin Police arrested six residents caught red-handed clearing land through the slash-and-burn method in Mandiangin district, Sarolangun regency, at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Those arrested were Sudirman Hutagaol, 37, Parasian Sitorus, 39, Hendi Situmeang, 25 and Pantes Sitompul, 31, all residents of Dam Siambang in Pemusiran village, Mandiangin district, Sarolangun regency. The two remaining suspects are Edison Sihombing, 47, and Abdi Jaya Sihombing, 19, both from Pekanbaru in Riau.
The operation to arrest the land-burners began when the Mandiangin Police chief received information from Sarolangun forest police chief Afrinal informing them that satellite data had identified a number of fires in Dam Siambang.
Subsequently, the Mandiangin Police chief and a number of police officers raided several locations in Dam Siambang. In the first location, they caught three suspects burning land. In the second location, they nabbed two suspects who were clearing land, while another burner was arrested in the third location.
'The suspects and evidence such as matches, mattocks, short machetes and a Taft Rocky car have been taken to the Mandiangin Police office. The police's crime investigation division is handling the case,' Jambi Police chief Brig. Gen. Bambang Sudarisman said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, officers of East Kotawaringin Police Precinct in Central Kalimantan also arrested six land burners.
'The six land burners were busted in Parenggean and Baamang. They are undergoing questioning at the police precinct office,' Adj. Comr. R. Andri Samudra, head of crime investigation unit at the East Kotawaringin police precinct, said as quoted by Antara news agency in Sampit on Thursday.
Including the latest arrests, the East Kotawaringin police precinct has now arrested 11 land burners, five of whom have been named as suspects. (ebf)(++++)
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