General Operations Force (GOF) Northern Brigade commander Shahrum Hashim said the operation was conducted following monitoring of illegal e-waste activities in the area over the past week.

“Three Volvo trailer lorries transporting various types of e-waste were detected en route to a warehouse.

“Upon inspection at the rear of the lorries, officers found 60 jumbo bags of e-waste, 20 jumbo bags of scrap metal, 19 jumbo bags of plastic waste and two metal crushers, all weighing about 99,000kg,” he said in a statement.

He said the operation, conducted between 1am and 6.45am yesterday, also involved the GOF 18th Battalion investigation branch, the Sungai Petani department of environment (DoE), as well as the Kuala Muda police headquarters’ traffic investigation and enforcement and narcotics crime investigation divisions.

The three arrested were aged between 36 and 52 years. The seizures were handed over to the DoE for further investigation under Section 18 (1A) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974.