JAKARTA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian authorities have identified 97 companies suspected of involvement in forest and land fires across Sumatra and Kalimantan islands, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman said Monday.
Dudung said the companies were identified based on reports received by regional and national police units, urging investigators to thoroughly investigate those responsible for the fires.
As of Oct. 13, police had named nine companies and 223 individuals as suspects in separate forest and land fire cases, said Pipit Subiyanto, a senior official with the National Police's special crimes unit.
The corporate cases were linked to 98 police reports, while the individual cases involved 273 reports, Pipit said.
He warned that offenders could face prison sentences of 10 to 12 years, stressing that burning land should not be used as a cheap and easy method of land clearing.
The investigations follow President Prabowo Subianto's order last month for police to intensify their crackdown on companies suspected of causing forest and land fires, which have spread haze across parts of Indonesia and neighboring countries. ■