Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Cesium-137 (Cs-137) Radiation Hazard Management Task Force has confirmed that a shipment of cloves returned from the United States due to suspected Cs-137 contamination has arrived at the Petikemas Terminal, Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, East Java, on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 10:00 p.m. local time.
"The port area has been closed off," said Bara Hasibuan, Head of Diplomacy and Communication Division of the Cesium-137 Handling Task Force, in a written statement on Monday, November 3, 2025.
Bara said the port is closed by the task force and port authorities to handle the contaminated containers and the products inside. According to Bara, the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) has inspected the containers and cloves produced by PT NJS, which were suspected to be contaminated with Cs-137.
According to Bara, Bapeten found contamination in several parts of the clove products.
Additionally, Bapeten found traces of Cs-137 exposure on the inner part of the container, with relatively small measurement results. Meanwhile, Bapeten did not find any Cs-137 exposure on the outer part of the container.
Bara stated that Bapeten has separated the contaminated cloves from the clean ones. Subsequently, the contaminated cloves will be placed in a new container at PT NJS for further decontamination and disposal by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).