REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- Police have formed a 558-strong team to chase suspects in land fires in Riau province.

"In addition to chasing suspects in land fires, the team is also tasked with arresting suspects in protected forest and biosphere reserve encroachment in Giam Siak Kecil, Bukti Batu, Bengkalis district," chief of the Riau provincial police Brig. Gen. Condro Kirono said here on Sunday.

The team will start working next week, with members of the team will be equipped with firearms, he said.

Condro said the team is divided into nine sub-teams which have 60 to 70 members each.

"They will comb a number of areas which have the largest acres of land burned such as Bengkalis, Pelalawan, and Meranti," he said.

Earlier, a number of environmental activists in Riau urged the police to name suspects in land fires soon.

Chief of the National Police Gen. Sutarman has ordered his men to shoot on sight at any suspect in biosphere reserve encroachment and land fire who resists arrest.

"If any of them resists arrest and is dangerous, don't hesitate to shoot at them," he said at the Roesmin Nurjadin air base here.

Sutarman said he will not tolerate police officers involved in an environmental crime which has led to haze disaster in Riau. "Shoot at them either," he said.

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