In Perak, the Ulu Kinta General Operations Force (GOF) successfully dismantled an illegal e-waste processing operation involving seizures amounting to RM1.3 billion, including machinery, in a raid at a factory on Jalan Sungai Siput-Kuala Kangsar here yesterday.
Northern brigade commander Shahrum Hashim said the operation, conducted in collaboration with the Perak environment department under Op Hazard, marked the largest seizure in five years, Bernama reported.
“The raid followed a month-long drone surveillance of the premises, which had been operating illegally for the past nine months.
“The seizure involved over 1,000 jumbo bags, each weighing one tonne, with an estimated total value of RM1.6 million. The bags contained various e-waste materials, including copper, tin and aluminium,” he said at the factory today.
Shahrum said 27 people were detained, consisting of two locals, 14 Chinese nationals, 10 Myanmar nationals and a two-year-old child, believed to be the offspring of a Myanmar worker.
“Those detained are aged between two and 60, while the two locals are believed to be the factory owner and supervisor.
“All of the foreign workers have been handed over to the immigration department for action under the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.
Shahrum also said the e-waste is believed to have been imported from countries such as Bolivia, Thailand, Oman, India and the US for processing at the factory before being re-exported for various uses.
Perak DoE deputy director Rizal Ramli said the factory had committed two offences under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, namely operating without a licence and lacking approval of an environmental impact assessment report.
In Ulu Tiram, Johor marine police seized scheduled e-waste worth over RM71 million brought in illegally from other countries following raids on three factories on Friday.
Bernama reported Johor police chief M Kumar as saying the raids were conducted jointly with the state environment department and Johor Bahru City Council after police received information from the public.
He said the three premises were found to be illegally storing and processing scheduled e-waste. Two foreign factory workers, aged 33 and 35, were arrested during the raids.
“The seized items included 1,369 jumbo gunny sacks filled with various metals such as iron, tin and copper, as well as 2,379 tonnes of automotive components, electronics and plastic.
“Also seized were 47 machines of various types, as well as 28 pallets of various metals, automotive components, electronics and plastic weighing 22.4 tonnes,” he said in a statement today.
Kumar said 19 square tanks filled with automotive components and iron powder, weighing 41 tonnes, were seized, together with 13 piles of iron and automotive components weighing 55 tonnes.
“All the seized items, worth RM71,523,340, were handed over to the environment department for further investigation,” he said.