Coordinating Minister Zulhas Calls 23 Radioactive Contaminated Containers Sent Back To The Philippines

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli hasan (Photo: Doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - The government found 23 containers indicated to be radioactively polluted by Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radionuclide from the Philippines. All of these containers have also been sent back to their home countries.

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said that initially it was found that 14 containers entered Tanjung Priok Port, Jakarta. After being checked, it turned out that the container contained a used iron screen containing Cs-137.

In addition, continued Zulhas, it was reported again that there were 9 containers with similar cargo entering Tanjung Priok Port.

"There are 14, plus 9 that have been returned," he said at a press conference at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Jakarta, Tuesday, September 30.

Zulhas admitted that he was worried that the containers could contaminate food products such as frozen shrimp if used later. Therefore, he said the government of all containers were prohibited from entering Indonesia.

"It goes in using containers, if the container enters the cargo of shrimp, now it can be polluted with shrimp, what else will it fit, that's dangerous. So we do it re-export," he explained.

Zulhas also admitted that he was surprised that there were still iron grounds that entered Indonesia. This is because imports of used iron stamps around the world have been banned for a long time.

"It's not allowed all over the world. It's called the induction method. Now that's the raw material for the used screening. Actually, the whole world can't. We still exist," he said.