Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The directorate general of customs is currently examining no fewer than one thousand containers filled with suspected poisonous waste materials that have entered the country during 2010, a spokesman said.

"We have not yet released the containers and are still examining their contents," the directorate general`s spokesman, Martediansyah, said here Wednesday.

It was believed the containers could reach Indonesia`s customs territory because of help from certain parties, he said.

The directorate general had coordinated with the Attorney General`s Office (AGO) on the steps that needed to be taken on 113 containers holding poisonous substances that had been sealed at Tanjung Priok port.

Coordination with the AGO was necessary because of the possibility of corrupt acts having been committed in the importation of the hazardous materials.

"Our focus is on violation of the customs law while the matter of possible corruption in the cases is the AGO`s business," Martediansyah said.

Meanwhile, AGO spokesman Noor Rachmad confirmed that the office had coordinated with the customs directorate general about the importation of the hazardous wastes but a formal order to investigate the matter had not yet been issued.

Earlier, it was reported the 113 containers were filled with B3 category B (hazardous and poisonous) goods. Of the 113 containers, 89 had come from England and the rest from the Netherlands.

They had arrived at Tanjung Priok port in five shipments since late November 2011 and their importer was PT HHS while they were filled with scrap steel mixed with chemicals, soil and tar. (*)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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