The tip-off, which followed public concern about such illegal activities in Pahang, led to seven unlicensed factories being raided last week, Bernama reported.

“From the information provided, we expanded the investigation until we successfully carried out this first phase of the raid,” said Hasbullah Ali, the head of Bukit Aman’s anti-money laundering (Amla) unit.

The police seized assets worth more than RM43 million in the raids, including factories, iron bars, vehicles and machinery.

Hasbullah said the factories had been operating since last year, processing e-waste using an incinerator at night to avoid detection.

He added that the factories were built in oil palm plantations or forest reserves to avoid detection. Undocumented migrants were hired to run them.

“The e-waste was illegally imported from an Asian country and then processed into bars and blocks of metal to be sold abroad for millions of ringgit.

“Investigations are still ongoing as to why Malaysia was chosen as the destination for this activity,” he said.

Police raided two factories each in Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan, and one in Johor.

“The suspects arrested, aged between 30 and 50, include 10 locals, who have been remanded for five to seven days, and 45 foreigners, who have been remanded for 14 days,” he said.

The case is being investigated under the Amla Act 2001, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, National Forestry Act 1984, Environmental Quality Act 1974, Customs Act 1967 and Immigration Act 1959/63.