Jakarta. The Environment Ministry has signaled tighter restrictions on scrap metal imports after radioactive cesium-137 contamination was detected at an industrial site in Cikande, Banten.

Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said Friday that preliminary findings point to imported scrap steel as the likely source of the contamination. “We have given recommendations to the Trade Ministry to impose tighter restrictions. For now, we will not recommend any imports of scrap steel until facilities are in place, including Radiation Portal Monitoring systems,” Hanif told reporters in Depok, West Java.

The government’s move comes as authorities intensify decontamination efforts at the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate, where cesium-137 --a radioactive isotope linked to nuclear incidents-- was discovered last month. Crews have excavated contaminated soil and debris, transferring them to a temporary storage site operated by steel processor Peter Metal Technology (PMT), which has been linked to the case.

The Environment Ministry reported that 20 drums, 17 jumbo bags, and three pallets of radioactive waste have so far been secured, with cleanup continuing until the site is declared free of radionuclide contamination. Radiation protection officers from Indonesia’s Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) are monitoring the work, while police bomb squads restrict movement of vehicles in and out of the estate.

Meanwhile, Bareskrim Polri, the national police’s criminal investigation unit, is conducting a probe to determine the origins of the contaminated scrap and establish accountability. Investigators are also tracking shipments previously re-exported from Tanjung Priok Port, including containers that may have been used to carry seafood exports to the United States.

The incident has drawn international attention. US regulators recently blocked imports from two Indonesian exporters after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detected cesium-137 in shrimp and cloves. The US had already issued an import alert in August against Bahari Makmur Sejati, one of its key shrimp suppliers, and last week halted shipments from Natural Java Spice after detecting traces of the isotope in cloves.

Hanif described the Banten contamination as a “special incident” requiring full coordination among government agencies. “We need transparency and community involvement to ensure public health and environmental protection,” he said.

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