Terror ruled out, cops probe missing radioactive material as theft

Police have ruled out terrorism as a possible motive for the disappearance of a radiological dispersal device (RDD), said Selangor CID chief Fadzil Ahmat.

“Our investigation into the case also looked into the angle of terror element, but so far we found there was no link to terrorism," he told Malaysiakini when contacted today.

He said the police are investigating the incident as theft under Section 379 of the Penal Code.

The CID probe includes the possibility that the device was stolen from the vehicle that was being used by a private company to transport the device, he said.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Deputy Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Minister Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis declined to comment, citing the ongoing police investigation.

This morning, the New Straits Times reported that the 23kg device had been missingsince Aug 10, and police and the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) are scrambling to find it. 

The report said there are concerns that the device could be used to make a "dirty bomb", or otherwise cause radioactive exposure to the public if dismantled for scrap.

The device comprises the radioactive isotope iridium-192 that is safely contained in a casing with lead-lined shielding, and is used as a gamma radiation source by a private company that offers test, calibration and inspection services to heavy industries, including oil, gas and energy companies.

The NST quoted sources saying that two technicians from the company had used the device for a job in Seremban, and loaded it onto the back of their pickup truck upon completion and drove it back to their Shah Alam office at 2am.

They found that the device was missing from the trunk when they arrived an hour later, and claimed that they did not stop during the trip.

Meanwhile, The Star quoted Deputy Home Minister Azis Jamman as saying that there was no need to panic over the missing device.

"So far, everything is under control. There is nothing to be worried about at this moment," he said.

Bernama, meanwhile, quoted inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun as saying that this is not the first time an RDD had gone missing.

He said there had been another incident last year, and that device has yet to be found. - Mkini