Indonesia returns toxic waste containers to Netherlands
Two dozen containers filled with toxic waste and secretly shipped to Indonesian for disposal will be sent back to the Netherlands, the Customs and Excise Office of the Tanjung Priok Port said on Friday, Jakarta Globe reports.
These containers are the last of 113 containers of toxic waste customs officials shipped to Indonesia by importer Hwang Hook Steel, Customs and Excise spokesman Agus Rofiudin said. The containers arrived at Jakarta's Tanjung Priok Port between Jan. 20 and Feb. 9.
The majority of the toxic shipment — 89 containers — were sent to Indonesia from the United Kingdom. Those containers have already been sent back to the UK.
“This is the second case of re-export after having already sent 89 containers containing toxic waste to the Port of Felixstowe in the United Kingdom,” Agus said.
Agus did not specify where in the Netherlands the toxic waste was being sent.
“The process of sending them back is the responsibility of the importer,” Agus said.
But this shipment isn't the end of Indonesia's toxic waste woes.
In April, customs officials discovered an additional 118 containers of scrap metal tainted with toxic waste. Four Indonesian companies had imported the containers, saying the scrap metal was to be recycled.
These containers had come from countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. The toxic waste would be re-exported to its country of origin once the paperwork is complete, Agus said.
Indonesia's Customs and Excise Office also found 130 containers in Surabaya, 77 in Medan and 11 in Semarang that all allegedly contained toxic waste.
