Cesium-137 Polluted Iron Stolen By Security Guards, KLH Tightens Location Security

Deputy for Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment Inspector General Rizal Irawan (left) at the Serang Police, Banten, Thursday (11/12/2025). ANTARA/Devi Nindy

SERANG - Deputy for Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment (KLH) Inspector General Rizal Irawan stated that the security of the interim storage area of Peter Metal Technology was tightened after the disclosure of cases of iron theft containing cesium-137 by four internal company workers.

Rizal said the perpetrators consisted of three security guards and one forklift operator.

The perpetrators were arrested by the police on Tuesday (10/11), after the KLH coordinated with the Serang Police.

"The perpetrator has been arrested and detained," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, December 11.

He emphasized that the warehouse security was no longer handed over to the company's internal officers.

"Security is now no longer handed over to internal security guards because security guards are involved in theft. From now on, security has been taken over completely by the Banten Police through the Serang Police," he said.

Coordination with Gegana Brimob is also carried out to determine the safe point of placement of personnel based on radiation safety calculations.

Rizal explained that the new standard operating procedure (SOP) has been prepared to ensure that the storage area can only be accessed by official Cesium-137 Task Force officers.

"We have coordinated with the Resort Police and Gegana Brimob. Later, personnel will be deployed in the PT PMT area by taking into account safety parameters," he said.

In addition to guarding personnel, KLH installed police lines at a number of strategic points around the storage warehouse. Every movement of people and goods is now required to be recorded in the daily register book.

"All entry and exit of goods and people will be recorded. Only interested parties or Cesium-137 Task Force officers are allowed to enter," Rizal continued.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry also held an internal meeting with the Banten Police to finalize a comprehensive security pattern, including access governance, documentation of the movement of goods, as well as cross-institutional coordination to determining the permanent storage location.

Previously, the Serang Resort Police (Polres), Banten, arrested four people involved in an iron waste theft syndicate contaminated with radioactive Cesium-137 from a company in the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate, Serang Regency, Banten.

Serang Police Chief AKBP Condro Sasongko, Wednesday (10/12), said the case involved a company security officer with the initials SH, MZ, SM, and the forklif operator with the initials RO.

"This case is not only related to theft, but also endangers the community because the goods taken are radioactively contaminated waste," he said.