Sultan Nazrin said such activities had become increasingly rampant of late, and that they had turned Malaysia into an e-waste dumping ground, Sinar Harian reported.

“On Feb 15, Perak was shocked when the authorities raided an illegal e-waste processing facility in Sungai Siput and seized items worth an estimated RM1.3 billion.

“This incident raises serious concerns. How could the various enforcement bodies overlook the existence of such a factory operating illegally in plain sight?” he said.

The Perak ruler said the syndicates involved were forging documents and making false cargo declarations to get past the authorities, while premises involved in illegal processing had led to pollution.

Sultan Nazrin reiterated that e-waste dumping must be taken seriously by the authorities due to the toxic and hazardous materials involved.

“When such waste is not disposed of through proper and safe methods, it poses environmental threats and serious health risks to people,” he said.

He urged the relevant enforcement agencies to intensify monitoring and act swiftly on the discovery of such facilities to stamp out illegal e-waste activities nationwide.

A nationwide crackdown from January last year to Feb 17 this year led to the seizure of RM3.8 billion in materials and the arrest of 538 people.

The authorities seized 301 containers between March and June, 106 of which were filled with e-waste and scrap metal, mostly from developed countries such as the US.