The authorities have warned that anyone caught illegally bringing a radioactive device into Singapore could be fined up to $100,000 and jailed for up to five years.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) told The Straits Times yesterday that it is an offence under the Radiation Protection Act to bring any radioactive device illegally into Singapore.

"The penalty for the offence is a fine not exceeding $100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both," it said in response to queries from ST.

Malaysian police are currently searching for a radioactive device that went missing in Selangor earlier this month.

The device is an industrial radiography device which contains the radioactive isotope iridium-192.

On Saturday, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that it had stepped up checks at checkpoints, including airports, and was monitoring the case of the missing device.

In its statement, the ICA had said: "Our checkpoints have capabilities to detect radiological threats. For example, ICA officers use equipment such as scanners and handheld detectors to screen for radiation levels on cargo, vehicles and travellers entering Singapore."

The NEA added that there has not been any case of a lost or stolen "industrial gamma projector" here.

"Should an unauthorised radioactive device be discovered in Singapore, the NEA will isolate the radioactive material and keep it in a secure place to ensure public safety, pending investigations," it said.

Malaysian police said last week that they were hunting for a 23kg industrial device that went missing from the back of a pick-up truck on Aug 10.

Selangor police chief Mazlan Mansor said last Thursday that the police have yet to receive any information as to whether the device has been taken out of Selangor.

The Selangor police and Malaysia's Atomic Energy Licensing Board have mobilised a special task force to locate the device.