KUALA LUMPUR — Police have destroyed a suspicious box found outside a shop in Sri Petaling after initial checks recorded relatively high radiation readings from the object.
The Kuala Lumpur Bomb Disposal Unit (UPB) used a Recoilless Disruptor 5.0 to neutralise the suspicious object, which was later found to contain several boxes of colourful building blocks resembling Lego.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said police received a report about the suspicious box from a 33-year-old woman at 12.57pm today.
“Initial investigations found relatively high radiation readings recorded at the location,” Fadil said in a statement.
He said the Kuala Lumpur police contingent’s UPB, the Bukit Aman Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Unit and the Malaysian Nuclear Agency were deployed to the scene for further inspection and assessment.
The bomb disposal team subsequently used the Recoilless Disruptor 5.0 to destroy the suspected object, he said.
“Several boxes suspected to contain colourful building-block items (Lego) inside the box were found and successfully destroyed,” he said.
However, further checks by the Atomic Energy Department found no radioactive readings at the scene, Fadil said.
Police have opened an investigation under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which concerns criminal intimidation.
“The case is still under investigation,” he said.
The incident earlier sparked a bomb scare on social media, with several Threads users sharing footage of bomb disposal personnel inspecting an area near a TNB feeder pillar in Sri Petaling.
The footage appeared to show the operation taking place outside a Watsons pharmacy along Jalan Radin Bagus.
The area was cordoned off by police, while traffic congestion occurred as vehicles were diverted away from the location where the suspicious object was found.
Businesses in the area also temporarily suspended operations as bomb disposal experts carried out their assessment.
The incident caused concern among people in the area, with several users sharing or reposting footage online while seeking updates.
Fadil urged the public not to spread false information that could cause unnecessary alarm or threaten public safety.
Those with information about the incident can contact the Kuala Lumpur police hotline at 03-21159999, the Brickfields police hotline at 03-22979222, or any nearby police station. — September 14, 2026