15 Radioactive Smuggling Cases Detected Annually - Atom Malaysia

JOHOR BAHRU, July 7 (Bernama) -- The Department of Atomic Energy Malaysia (Atom Malaysia) records an average of 15 radioactive smuggling attempts each year, with most incidents detected at Port Klang.

Its deputy director-general Monalija Kostor said these cases typically involve radioactive materials such as Cobalt-60 and Cesium-137, which are detected through Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) installed at the country’s land and sea border checkpoints.

She said smugglers often attempt to conceal the materials by falsely declaring them as harmless goods.

“Many of these cases are recorded at Port Klang, a major import and export hub. Several containers were found carrying radioactive substances, though they were declared as items like dairy products, toys, or textiles,” she told a press conference following the opening ceremony of the Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand-Singapore Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (MITSATOM) 2025, held here today.

Monalija said when radioactive materials are smuggled into Malaysia, they are returned to their country of origin, adding that if they are being smuggled out, the government seizes the materials and refers the case to court.

“The court will decide whether the items are to be forfeited. In such cases, the government either takes possession of the materials for proper management or returns them to the owner after a fine is imposed,” she said.

She stressed that such offences are serious, as radioactive materials pose significant risks to public safety and national security.

These materials are commonly used in industries such as oil and gas, plastics, and electronics. According to Monalija, illegal smuggling is often driven by attempts to avoid regulatory costs or due to ignorance of legal requirements. 

“Often, smuggling is done to cut costs or simply because they are unaware that radioactive materials are strictly regulated in Malaysia. Regardless, we will not tolerate such violations,” she said.

She added that Atom Malaysia continues to maintain stringent control measures to ensure that all imports and exports of radioactive substances comply with national regulation.

-- BERNAMA