PMT Director Becomes Suspect Of Cikande Radioactive Exposure

JAKARTA - The Cesium Handling Task Force (Cs-137) said the National Police had appointed the Director of PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT) Lin Jingzhang as a suspect in a case of environmental pollution due to exposure to radioactive Cs-137 in the Cikande Modern industrial area, Serang, Banten.

"The Directorate of Certain Crimes (Tipitder) of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police has named the suspect Lin Jingzhang, a citizen of RRT who serves as Director at PT PMT," said Head of the Communication and Diplomacy Division of the Handling Task Force Cs-137 Bara Krishna Hasibuan as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, December 4.

He conveyed that the determination of the suspect was carried out after a series of intensive investigations involving the Nuclear Energy Supervisory Agency (Bapeten) and the Ministry of Environment.

The police have also submitted a detraction against the person concerned to the Directorate General of Immigration, and the person concerned has been officially prevented from traveling abroad.

He explained that this case began with checking radiation exposure by investigators from the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police together with Bapeten at the PT PMT location on August 26, 2025.

From the measurement results, 216 microsivers per hour of radiation were found on the outer furnace. Further investigation on August 29, 2025 showed a higher exposure, namely 700 microsilverts per hour on the company's inner furnace.

PT PMT is known to have started operating in September 2024 and stopped its operational activities in July 2025. In the production process, the company processes sustainable raw materials originating from absorption and used goods.

Bara said that the raw material was pressed, melted in the stove with temperatures between 1,500 to 1,700 degrees Celsius for about two hours, then printed into a four-meter-long billet and then dried into stainless steel products.

During 2024, PT PMT received raw material supplies from 66 suppliers from Jakarta, Banten, Tangerang, and Surabaya. Meanwhile, in 2025, the number of suppliers increased to 82 from Jakarta, Kalimantan, Surabaya, and Sumatra. The total raw materials received reached 3,448.7 tons.

"The total production of sustainable steel PT PMT is 100 percent exported to the People's Republic of China," he said again.

During the investigation, he said, the authorities also found industrial waste in the form of used refractory which was suspected of containing hazardous and toxic materials (B3).

The waste was found in the form of black, white, and brown solid materials stored in the production warehouse without management according to the provisions. In addition, some of the waste is allegedly dumped into one of the hangout stalls in the Cikande area for vegetable purposes.

Until now, investigators have examined 40 witnesses consisting of internal parties of PT PMT, owners and managers of rongsok stalls, waste takers, suppliers of raw materials, managers of the Modern Cikande industrial area, Bapeten, Ministry of Environment, and notaries.

For his actions, he said again, the suspect was charged with Article 98 paragraph (1) and/or Article 103, as well as Article 104 in conjunction with Article 116 of Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management.

Meanwhile, Head of Sub-Directorate II of the Directorate of Tipidter Bareskrim Police Headquarters Kombes Pol Sardo MP Sibarani conveyed the threat of punishment to be faced by the person concerned, namely a sentence of 3 to 10 years, and a fine of Rp. 8 billion.

"This case carries a penalty of between 3 and 10 years, a fine of Rp. 8 billion," he also said.