Director of Specific Crimes at the Polri Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), Brigjen Pol Mohammad Irhamni.

progresifjaya.co.id, JAKARTA – The handling of forest and land fire cases by the Polri’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) has not yet reached its conclusion, despite investigators having detained 72 suspects. As the investigation enters a new phase, police are now probing allegations of external funding provided to the suspects, who were reportedly instructed to carry out large-scale land burning. The investigation seeks to identify the sources and amounts of such funding.

Brigjen Pol Mohammad Irhamni, Director of Specific Crimes at Bareskrim stated, that the investigation’s focus has shifted from merely identifying those who started the fires to uncovering the masterminds behind them. This shift comes as the majority of suspects claim the burning was done on their own initiative.

For investigators, however, these statements serve as a starting point to cross-reference the suspects’ accounts with their respective financial transaction records.

“Most of the admissions point to individual action. However, we will examine their financial transactions to determine whether the costs were personal or if there were fund flows from corporations that commissioned or ordered them to carry out the burning,” explained Brigjen Pol Irhamni.

To thoroughly investigate these financial records, Bareskrim plans to collaborate with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK). Tracing cash flows is expected to reveal the motives behind the burning of 1.006,67 hectares of land—incidents currently documented in 89 police reports across nine different regional police jurisdictions. Bareskrim also suspects a link between these burning practices and business calculations aimed at minimizing the costs of clearing land for plantations.

Indications of careful preparation are also evident in the evidence seized by investigators at various locations. Officers confiscated tools used for forest encroachment—such as machetes, axes, and chainsaws—as well as fuel, lighters, and ready-to-plant oil palm seedlings.  Furthermore, the police discovered that vegetation in several locations had been felled three to four months prior, in preparation for the land being razed by fire.

The Bareskrim is continuing to investigate the case to determine if any parties in positions of authority were involved, although no indications pointing to such involvement have been found thus far.

“We are not stopping at the individuals on the ground. What was the motive behind the burning? And who was it for? We will certainly pursue this matter until it is fully resolved,” explained Brigjen Pol Irhami. (Bembo)