Indonesia, Aug. 31 -- The Indonesian Forestry Ministry has deployed an expert team to investigate alleged criminal offenses behind recent forest and land fires in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) in East Java.

Head of the ministry's Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Regional Law Enforcement Office Aswin Bangun said in a press release received here on Monday that the team comprises civil servant investigators (PPNS) from the office and two experts from IPB University.

The experts - Professor Bambang Hero Saharjo, a specialist in forest and land fires, and Professor Basuki Wasis, an expert in soil and environmental damage - collected samples from fire-affected areas in Sariwani Village, Probolinggo District.

"During the activity, P...