Latest news with #RadiationPortalMonitors
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Keeping illegal imports of radioactive material in check
JOHOR BARU: The Atomic Energy Department (Atom Malaysia) records an average of 15 cases of radioactive material smuggling each year, with most incidents detected at Port Klang. Atom Malaysia deputy directorgeneral Monalija Kostor said the smuggling of radioactive materials like Cobalt-60 and Cesium-137, both into and out of the country, is detected by Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) at sea and land border entry points. She said one of the main tactics used by smugglers was to declare the cargo as other types of goods to avoid detection by the authorities. 'Most smuggling cases occur at Port Klang, a highly active import and export hub, where several containers have been found with radioactive materials. 'Smugglers use various tactics such as falsely declaring goods as dairy products, toys or textiles to conceal the radioactive cargo,' she added. Monalija said this during a press conference after the Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand-Singapore Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (Mitsatom) 2025 held at a hotel here yesterday. She added that any radioactive materials smuggled into the country would be returned to the country of origin. 'If smuggled out of our country, the government will seize the material and bring the case to court to determine its forfeiture from the owner. 'The radioactive material may then be taken over by the government for proper handling or returned to the owner after a fine is imposed,' she said. Monalija added that such smuggling cases are considered serious and must be curbed as they could pose risks to public safety and national security. She said radioactive materials are commonly used in industries such as oil and gas, plastics, and electronics, which may explain why illegal smuggling often occurs to avoid regulatory costs or to maximise profits. 'Typically, illegal imports occur to avoid company costs or due to unawareness of Malaysia's radioactive material regulations. But we will not allow such things to happen,' she added. As such, she said Atom Malaysia continuously implements strict border controls to ensure that any movement of radioactive materials into or out of Malaysia is done legally under existing laws. Monalija added that Malaysia is ramping up efforts to prevent radioactive material smuggling by hosting a high-level international field training exercise, Mitsatom, in Johor this week. She said the training involves participants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore, focusing on nuclear security awareness, border surveillance and response coordination to incidents involving illicit trafficking of radioactive materials. Monalija added that a field training exercise would be held on this Thursday at a maritime jetty in Gelang Patah under the Mitsatom programme. She also said ahead of the main drill, the programme includes tabletop simulation exercises today and tomorrow, as well as a nuclear security talk to raise awareness among participants and observers from all four participating nations. 'The training aims to assess cross-border communication and emergency responses involving the detection and interdiction of radioactive material smuggling. The simulation scenarios involve land and maritime smuggling routes shared between Malaysia and its neighbours. 'These include land borders with Thailand and Singapore as well as maritime borders with Indonesia as a potential trafficking route,' she said. Monalija added that Mitsatom is Malaysia's fourth international nuclear security exercise since 2015, making it one of the most active countries in South-East Asia in countering nuclear smuggling. She added earlier drills were conducted with Thailand (in 2015 and 2016), focusing on land border interdiction, while in 2018, Malaysia hosted a maritime-focused drill with Indonesia and the Philippines in Kota Kinabalu. 'This year's exercise is especially comprehensive, combining both land and sea interdiction scenarios to test preparedness across multiple border types. 'We have designed four smuggling scenarios where radioactive materials are successfully intercepted and returned to the authorities,' she said. Monalija added that the training exercises help Malaysian authorities and their counterparts from within the region to ensure that radioactive sources remain under legal control and do not fall into the wrong hands. 'Our top priority is to ensure radioactive materials are tightly regulated, and that our borders remain secure against nuclear threats,' she said.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
15 radioactive smuggling cases detected yearly in Malaysia
JOHOR BAHRU: The Department of Atomic Energy Malaysia (Atom Malaysia) detects an average of 15 cases of radioactive smuggling each year, with Port Klang being the hotspot for such illegal activities. Deputy director-general Monalija Kostor revealed that materials like Cobalt-60 and Cesium-137 are frequently smuggled, often disguised as harmless goods. Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) installed at border checkpoints play a crucial role in intercepting these hazardous substances. Monalija explained that smugglers commonly mislabel radioactive materials as dairy products, toys, or textiles to evade detection. When radioactive substances are smuggled into Malaysia, they are sent back to their country of origin. However, if they are being exported illegally, the government seizes them and takes legal action. 'The court decides whether the items are forfeited. The government either retains them for proper disposal or returns them after imposing fines,' she said. Monalija emphasised the severity of such offences, as radioactive materials pose serious threats to public safety and national security. These substances are widely used in industries like oil and gas, plastics, and electronics. Smugglers often bypass regulations to cut costs or due to ignorance of the law. Atom Malaysia remains vigilant in enforcing strict controls to ensure all radioactive imports and exports comply with national regulations.
Barnama
6 days ago
- Barnama
15 Radioactive Smuggling Cases Detected Annually
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.
