Natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the activity was discovered during Op Patuh, which was carried out jointly with police and immigration.

He said two factories were acquiring e-waste without environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval or a licence, and were recycling plastic without approval.

He said one of the factories involved was operating illegally, and was producing pellets packed and labelled as fish food.

“The inspection found about 100 tonnes (of plastic waste) had been processed into pellets and packed in plastic bags labelled as freshwater fish food,” he said after joining the raid today.

He said that in a raid on another factory, more than 1,500 tonnes of electronic waste were found and the authorities issued an equipment operation detention order.

“Op Patuh is in line with the aspiration to clean up the industry in Kedah. This aims to control activities that do not comply with the law and damage the environment, risk the health of the local community and cause leakage to state and national revenue,” Nik Nazmi said.