A third police officer has been arrested in the investigation into the theft of eleven cylinders containing seized mercury from the grounds of Geyersvlijt police station.
He is C.B., who works at the Regio Bijstand Team Paramaribo (RBTP; Paramaribo Regional Assistance Team). Police spokesperson Michel Elskamp announced the latest arrest in an update to the media on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
The Kapitale Delicten department (Major Crimes Division), which is conducting the investigation, identified C.B. as a suspect during the further investigation. Following consultation with the Openbaar Ministerie (Public Prosecution Service), he was remanded in custody.
With his arrest, three police officers have now been arrested as suspects in this case. Earlier, R.C. and A.K., both employed by the Fraude department, were arrested and remanded in custody.
At an earlier stage of the investigation, four other people had also been arrested. Three of them were released after questioning. The fourth was initially remanded in custody, but was later released on the orders of the Openbaar Ministerie.
This brings the total number of people arrested since the start of the investigation to seven, including three police officers. Not all seven are still in custody.
Theft discovered at the end of May
The disappearance of the mercury came to light on May 29, 2026. A police officer discovered at the time that a key no longer fit the lock of the storage container at the rear of Geyersvlijt police station. Further investigation gave rise to the suspicion that the original lock had been forced open and replaced.
An inspection showed that eleven of the fifteen stored cylinders containing mercury had disappeared. The batch had previously been seized by the police and subsequently stored in the container.
An important part of the ongoing investigation is determining where the stolen mercury was taken. The investigation is also examining which individuals may have been involved in the theft.
The police have not yet disclosed further details about the precise role the three arrested police officers are suspected of having played. The Kapitale Delicten department is continuing the investigation. For the headline, I think “Third police officer arrested in mercury case: this time an RBTP member” is stronger, as it immediately makes clear that this is not the first police official.
