PARAMARIBO, Suriname, May 31, CMC -Police are investigating the theft of more than 500 kilogrammes of mercury that had been stored in 15 barrels on the compound of a police station in Geyersvlijt, a historic residential neighbourhood located in the northern part of the capital, Paramaribo.
Police said that the robbery was detected by employees of the station last Friday and are now trying to determine how the thieves gained access to the police premises and managed to take away the chemical without being noticed.
Forensic investigators have since launched an investigation into traces and camera footage to determine the identity of those involved, adding that the stolen chemical might be intended for small-scale inland gold mining, where mercury is used on a large scale to bind gold particles from finely ground rock or river silt into an amalgam.
The amalgam is then heated, causing the mercury to evaporate and leaving behind the pure gold.
Mercury is regarded as being one of the most toxic substances in the world and exposure to the chemical is extremely dangerous to humans affecting the central nervous system, the brain, the kidneys, and the immune system.
Even at low doses, it can lead to neurological disorders, tremors, memory loss, and developmental disorders in unborn children.
The police said they are also investigating possible distribution channels in a bid to retrieve the chemicals and arrest those involved in the crime.
Meanwhile, police are also investigating a Molotov cocktail attack on the building housing the Forensic Investigation Department (FO) as well as the Herman Gooding police station.
The police said that the incident occurred on Saturday and that a police officer on duty saw flames near one of the windows shortly thereafter.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the Molotov cocktail was likely thrown against a window of the department.
The Forensic Investigation Department has launched a technical investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident, while the police are seeking to determine a possible motive behind the attack.
CMC/ah/nb/2026