Huge plastic bags and their contents dumped at Braamspunt

 

On the morning of 26th October 2014 we found at least two huge plastic bags on the sandspit part of the beach (it could be more, considering one heap was all bunched up). The bags were 3-4 m long on one side and more or less the same on the other but that was hard to tell. The plastic was thick, whitish and semi-transparent. The bags were fitted with two screw-cap openings; one had metal reinforcement. And on one of the screw caps there was a sticker with a barcode and four Chinese characters (material or ingredient number GL-1020-NT and sequence number G1220NA00668). What does this mean? Inside the bags was a residue of a clear, orange-red liquid. According to fishermen, the bags were "left behind" by an East-Indian man.

We have contacted the Maritime Authorities of Suriname (MAS) about this find, and because illegal dumping of chemicals is possible in this case, we have also notified the National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname (NIMOS). We urge anyone who recognizes these bags to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

What's inside the bags???
What's inside the bags???

26th October 2014. As shown on the picture, an orange-reddish liquid was clearly visible inside the bags.

What were these bags used for?
What were these bags used for?

26th October 2014. To go all the way to Braamspunt to dump this... Fishy...

One of the bags...
One of the bags...

26th October 2014. One of the bags among debris that was washed onshore.

Screw cap
Screw cap

26th October 2014. The bags were fitted with screw caps.

Screw cap 2
Screw cap 2

26th October 2014. This cap has a sticker printed with barcode and some chinese characters.

Barcode
Barcode

26th October 2014. A closer look at the barcode. First line reads: material or ingredient number (first set of chinese characters) GL-1020-NT and second line reads: sequence number (second set of chinese characters) G1220NA00668. What does this mean?

Screw cap 3
Screw cap 3

26th October 2014. This screw cap had metal rings attached to it.

What a mess...
What a mess...

26th October 2014. Whatever this was, it should have been disposed off properly. 

Rim of the bags
Rim of the bags

26th October 2014. The rims of the bags were perforated. It looked like the bags were attaced to something.