Police uncover suspected illegal e-waste facility in Bukit Tengah, 11 foreigners held
BUKIT MERTAJAM, July 8 — Police raided a premises in Lorong Pengkalan Indah, Bukit Tengah, yesterday and uncovered a suspected illegal electronic waste (e-waste) storage and processing facility.
Acting Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief Supt Norazizi Saad said authorities seized a large quantity of e-waste estimated to be worth millions of ringgit and detained 11 foreigners to assist in the investigation during the integrated operation, dubbed Ops Hazard (E-Waste).
He said the operation was carried out at 11.55 am by the Internal Security and Public Order Division of the Seberang Perai Tengah District Police Headquarters, in collaboration with the state DOE, Inland Revenue Board and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP).
“Initial checks found that the premises were being used for e-waste storage and processing activities, while the DOE inspection uncovered 80 compressed blocks of e-waste and eight jumbo bags containing computer components and motherboards.
“Samples of the materials were taken by the DOE for analysis and verification under the scheduled waste code and the case is being investigated under Section 18(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Norazizi said MBSP issued two compounds against the premises during the operation for operating without a valid licence.
On the foreigners detained, he said the 11 individuals, aged between 26 and 59, were believed to be working at the premises, with 10 found to have breached their immigration pass conditions while another did not possess a valid travel document.
“All of them have been remanded for 14 days until July 20 to assist in investigations under Section 6(1)© of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963,” he said.
He stressed that police would continue to strengthen strategic cooperation with relevant enforcement agencies to combat illegal e-waste processing activities.
