Traditional authorities of Godo-olo halt boat carrying caustic soda

The traditional authorities of the village Drietabbetje recently halted a boat belonging to a Chinese entrepreneur in Boven-Tapanahony, near Futu Pasi. This action aimed to prevent further pollution of the river with caustic soda, a toxic substance.
“There are two large boats loaded with this substance, and we do not want caustic soda to be used in our surroundings. That is why we stopped the boats. The men intend to work in the goldfields behind the village of Godo-olo, where they are involved in gold mining activities,” said Captain John Andeli.
He also mentioned that they spoke with the District Commissioner (DC) of Boven-Tapanahony, Henk Deel, but received no concrete response. “The boats need to go back; we do not want caustic soda in our waters. The community does not want it unloaded here. People must come to an agreement with us before bringing this into the area, but that has not happened.” According to Andeli, one boat was loaded with 80 sacks of caustic soda, while the quantity on the other boat remains unknown. He also reported that the boats have since been sent back to Albina.
Acting Police Chief Melvin Pinas of the Suriname Police Force (KPS), who also serves as Director of Operations at KPS, stated that the sacks of caustic soda were confiscated by the Eastern Investigation Unit in coordination with the Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM). Pinas confirmed that the boats containing caustic soda are now in Albina under police supervision. The Eastern Investigation Unit is continuing its investigation.