Indonesia's Navy and police reportedly want to close their waters to a ship carrying nuclear waste bound for Australia.
"We will block the ship because nuclear waste is very dangerous," sea security coordinating agenda head Vice Admiral Desi Albert Mamahit told The Jakarta Post newspaper.
"Our ships are on standby, although the ship is still far from Indonesia. We have information about the ship."
On October 16, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) confirmed a project to repatriate radioactive waste from France, where it was sent for reprocessing in the 1990s and early 2000s, and which will now be retained at ANSTO's Lucas Heights, Sydney, facility.
"Consistent with security requirements and practice established during nine previous export operations, ANSTO will not confirm the destination port, land route, or timing," it said on its website.
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The Indonesians are concerned about a ship called the MV Trader, which was close to the African coast and expected to pass through the Malacca Strait, according to reports.
