Two police officers from the Fraud Department have been arrested in the investigation into eleven missing cylinders of mercury from the premises of Geyersvlijt police station. Police are still investigating who is involved and where the hazardous substance is located.
The investigation into the missing mercury from Geyersvlijt police station has led to the arrest of two police officers. They are R.C. and A.K., both employed by the Fraud Department. They have been remanded in custody. Police spokesperson Michel Elskamp confirmed the arrests to Key News.
The Kapitale Delicten Department is conducting the criminal investigation. According to Elskamp, it is being examined who was involved in the disappearance of the eleven cylinders and where the batch of mercury was taken. The arrest of the two police officers does not mean their guilt has been established. They are regarded as suspects while the investigation is ongoing.
The case came to light at the end of May. Key News previously reported that a police officer discovered on May 29, 2026, that a key no longer fit the lock of a container at the rear of Geyersvlijt station. Following an inspection, suspicion arose that the original lock had been forced open and replaced.
Investigation into missing mercury expands
An inspection of the container showed that eleven of the fifteen cylinders containing mercury had disappeared. According to information provided by police at the time, each cylinder weighed 35.80 kilograms. The batch had previously been seized and was stored at the Fraud Department.
A few days after the discovery, police chief Melvin Pinas visited the police station. He was briefed there on the circumstances under which the mercury had disappeared. The case therefore also received explicit internal attention within the Korps Politie Suriname (Suriname Police Force).
Police are investigating not only who is involved, but above all where the missing mercury has ended up.
Four other suspects identified earlier
Before the two police officers were arrested, four other individuals had already been detained in the investigation. Three of them were released after questioning. A fourth suspect was initially remanded in custody, but was later released by the Openbaar Ministerie (Public Prosecution Service).
Elskamp says the duration of the investigation is linked to the various investigative actions that must be carried out. According to him, information, statements, indications and other findings are compared with each other before it can be determined whether there are sufficient facts and circumstances to designate someone as a suspect.
More arrests still possible
According to the police spokesperson, the investigation has not yet been concluded. New findings may lead to more people being arrested. Police are focusing both on possible persons involved in the disappearance and on the route the cylinders took after leaving the police premises.
An important issue remains the storage and possible distribution of the mercury. Police want to recover and secure the cylinders. As long as it is unclear where the batch is located, it also remains unclear whether others have come into contact with it or whether the substance has been stored or used somewhere.
Mercury poses risks to health and the environment
The World Health Organization warns that exposure to mercury can have serious consequences for health. Depending on the form and manner of exposure, the substance can be harmful to, among other things, the nervous system, kidneys, lungs, skin and eyes. Mercury can also enter the environment and accumulate in food chains.
This makes recovering the missing cylinders important not only for the criminal investigation, but also for public health and environmental protection. The precise circumstances under which the seized batch was previously obtained and stored form part of the broader context of the case.
Police await further investigation results
Police have so far made no statements about the specific suspicions against R.C. and A.K. It has also not been disclosed whether goods, documents or other evidence were seized during recent investigative actions. According to Elskamp, further details can only be shared when the investigation permits this.
With the arrest of two police officers, the investigation has entered a new phase. At the same time, the central question remains unanswered: where are the eleven cylinders of missing mercury now? Police say they will continue the investigation and do not rule out further arrests.
