Chinese Citizen Identified as Suspect in Indonesian Radioactive Contamination Investigation

JAKARTA Indonesian authorities have identified a Chinese national as a suspect in a cesium-137 contamination case that prompted recalls of certain exports to the United States. Lin Jingzhang, a director of PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT), has been officially named in connection with the investigation, according to Bara Hasibuan, spokesperson for the investigative task force.

The Certain Crimes Directorate of the Indonesian National Polices Criminal Investigation Unit has designated Lin Jingzhang, a Chinese citizen and director of PT Peter Metal Technology, as a suspect, Hasibuan confirmed.

Authorities have encountered challenges in contacting the metal-processing companys representatives after the management returned to China. Lin Jingzhang has, however, agreed to cooperate and will return to Indonesia for questioning.

PT Peter Metal Technology, which manufactures stainless steel from scrap and waste steel, processed at least 3,000 tons of raw materials sourced from numerous suppliers during its ten months of operation in Indonesia. All production is exported to China.

Preliminary findings suggest the cesium-137 contamination originated domestically, from scrap and used materials that contained industrial equipment with cesium-137, which was either legally or illegally obtained and not handled according to proper storage and disposal regulations, Hasibuan said.

Investigators found that scrap collectors supplying the factory were unaware of the radioactive contamination. Contamination occurred during smelting, with PMTs furnace emitting 700 microsieverts per hour, leading authorities to identify PMT as the source, stated police official Sardo Sibarani.

The precise origin of the cesium-137 waste remains unknown, as only steel slag was present during inspections at the factory. The contamination was first reported earlier this year by Dutch authorities after detecting radiation in shipping containers from Indonesia. Several boxes of footwear were found to be contaminated.

In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against consuming frozen shrimp imported from PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, a company near the Cikande Industrial Estate, following cesium-137 detection in its shipments. Around 20 factories in the industrial area, including those processing shrimp and producing footwear, were affected. Nine employees were exposed to the radioactive material and received treatment in Jakarta, and all contaminated facilities have since been decontaminated.

Author: Sophia Brooks