“Bareskrim’s environmental crimes unit has named Lin Jingzhang, a Chinese national and director of PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT), as a suspect,” said Bara Krishna Hasibuan, spokesperson for the Cs-137 task force.
He said the designation followed an intensive probe involving the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) and the environment ministry.
Police have also asked immigration authorities to bar Lin from leaving the country, and the travel ban has taken effect.
The case began after police and Bapeten conducted a radiation survey at PMT’s facility on August 26, 2025.
Initial readings showed radiation levels of 216 microsieverts per hour at an outdoor furnace.
A follow-up check on August 29 detected far higher exposure — 700 microsieverts per hour — at an indoor furnace.
PMT began operating in September 2024 and halted activities in July 2025. The plant processed stainless-steel scrap and used goods as raw materials.
Bara said the material was pressed, melted at 1,500–1,700 degrees Celsius for two hours, then cast into four-meter billets before being dried into stainless-steel products.
In 2024, PMT received scrap from 66 suppliers across Jakarta, Banten, Tangerang and Surabaya; the number rose to 82 suppliers from Jakarta, Kalimantan, Surabaya and Sumatra in 2025, totaling 3,448.7 tonnes of input.
Related news: Indonesia escalates probe into Cesium-137 radiation case
“All of PMT’s stainless-steel output was exported to China,” he added.
Investigators also found leftover refractory waste suspected of containing hazardous materials.
The waste — black, white and brown solid fragments — had been stored inside the plant without proper handling, and some was allegedly dumped at a local scrapyard in Cikande for landfilling.
Police have questioned 40 witnesses, including PMT staff, scrapyard owners, waste collectors, scrap suppliers, estate managers, Bapeten officials, environment ministry staff and a notary.
Lin is charged under Articles 98(1), 103 and 104 in conjunction with Article 116 of the 2009 Environmental Protection and Management Law.
Police said the offences carry stiff criminal penalties.
“The charges carry three to ten years in prison and an Rp8-billion fine,” said senior investigator Sardo MP Sibarani.
Related news: Indonesia completes destruction of radioactive-contaminated shrimp
Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
