Two police officers from the Fraud Department have been arrested in the investigation into eleven missing cylinders containing mercury from the grounds of the Geyersvlijt police station. Police are still investigating who was involved and where the hazardous substance is located.
The investigation into the missing mercury from the 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 determined 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 considered 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 in the rear yard of the Geyersvlijt station. After an inspection, suspicions 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 the 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 Commissioner Melvin Pinas visited the police station. He was informed there about the circumstances under which the mercury had disappeared. The case therefore also received explicit internal attention within the Korps Politie Suriname.
Police are investigating not only who was involved, but above all where the missing mercury has gone.
Four other suspects previously identified
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 related to the various investigative actions that must be carried out. According to him, information, statements, indications and other findings are compared with one another before it can be established whether there are sufficient facts and circumstances to identify 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 individuals involved in the disappearance and on the route taken by the cylinders after leaving the police grounds.
An important issue remains the storage and possible distribution of the mercury. Police want to locate and secure the cylinders. As long as it remains 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 health consequences. Depending on the form and manner of exposure, the substance may 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 finding 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 containing missing mercury now? Police say they are continuing the investigation and do not rule out further arrests.
