REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANJARMASIN -- The South Kalimantan Provincial Police have named four people as suspects for setting off land fires in the province.

"We are currently handling three cases of land fires in which four people have been named as suspects," Director of Special Crimes of the South Kalimantan Provincial Police, Senior Commissioner Nasri, said here on Wednesday.

They were named as suspects based on the investigation of witnesses, he said.

The police are also in the process of investigating four more cases of land fires.

"Two of the four cases that we are investigating involve companies," he said.

The four suspects have been charged with violating article 187 and article 188 of the Penal Code. If found guilty, they can be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in jail.

"The instruction from the provincial police chief is that anybody found guilty of setting fire to land must be sternly dealt with and be made to face heavy sanctions," he said.

By Wednesday, vast swathes of South Kalimantan were shrouded by smoke from land and forest fires.

To prevent the spread of land and forest fires, the provincial police chief has issued an announcement, threatening to impose heavy sanctions against arsonists.

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