Natural resources, environment and climate change minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said such containers would be returned to the country of origin, Bernama reported.

He said DoE would continue to monitor the importation of e-waste to ensure that Malaysia is not used as a transit or disposal site by developed countries.

“To date, a total of 19 containers have been returned to their countries of origin, such as the US, Spain, Australia, Belgium and Japan,” he said in a statement after conducting an operation to combat e-waste trading in Port Klang today.

Based on the Basel Convention on The Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, all scheduled cross-border movements of waste such as e-waste must have prior approval before any import and export activities are carried out.

Nik Nazmi said three other containers inspected at the West Port, Port Klang, on Dec 8 were found to contain waste materials imported from the US and Spain.

“The waste materials are used computer hardware and wires which are categorised as electrical and electronic waste.

“The inspection found that the importer had declared these goods as aluminium scrap to evade detection by the authorities.

“Any attempt by any agent or shipping company to import any e-waste into Malaysia will face strict action,” he warned.