Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Police are hunting down four people suspected of setting fire to forested land in Riau province.

"The four people who are now put on the polices wanted list are investors and sellers of conservation areas," Chief of the Riau Provincial Police Brig. Gen. Condro Kirono said here on Friday.

Condro said the police have named 28 suspects in forest and plantation fires in Riau. All of them are being held in police custody.

He said the police are also investigating seven cases of forest and plantation fires. One of the cases involves company.

But he declined to reveal the name of the company.

About 10,502 hectares of land in Riau were burnt during the last four weeks, causing thick haze over the area and disturbing daily life there, local Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) stated on Tuesday.

Chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Syamsur Maarif stated earlier that some 99 percent of forest and plantation fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan were deliberately set.

The dry season in Sumatra and Kalimantan has triggered forest and plantation fires that produced haze. The haze has disturbed air transportation in the area and caused respiratory infections among thousands of local people.
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Reporting by Fazar Muhardi
(S012/F001)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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