Indonesia names Chinese national as suspect in radioactive contamination case

Indonesian police have named a Chinese national as a suspect in a radioactive contamination case involving the storage of cesium-137 at an industrial metal smelting facility on Java Island in Banten province.

Authorities have identified Lin Jingzhang, the head of Metal Peter Technology, a firm that processes scrap metal, as a suspect involved in environmental cesium-13 contamination, the Jakarta Globe reported on Friday.

"Police have designated Lin Jingzhang as a suspect," a spokesperson for the Cesium-137 Radionuclide Hazard Task Force, Bara Krishna Hasibuan, said on Thursday, adding that Lin has been banned from traveling.

Hasibuan said the authorities found hazardous industrial waste stored inside the factory without proper management inside the smelting facility.

He added that Lin is accused of unlawfully possessing scrap metal containing cesium-137 and failing to store or manage the contaminated material in accordance with regulations.

In August, Indonesia suspended operations at a seafood company after the US ordered an investigation and recall of its shrimp due to radiation found in the products.

An investigation was launched after a radionuclide (Cs-137) was discovered in a shipment of imported frozen shrimp from the company.

Cesium-137 contamination is a man-made radioisotope of cesium produced through nuclear fission, which is associated with nuclear accidents and weapons testing.

Cs-137 exposure can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, low lymphocyte counts, and skin damage. In severe cases, bleeding, infections, organ failure, or death may occur.

Prolonged low-dose exposure to the radionuclide also increases cancer risk, weakens immunity, and can cause congenital defects in pregnant women.