KUALA LUMPUR: A local businessman with a "Datuk" title is among 55 people detained in raids on seven illegal electronic waste (ewaste) processing factories in four states.
The Datuk, nine locals and 45 foreigners aged between 30 and 50 were arrested in Pahang, Johor, Selangor and Negri Sembilan on Aug 5.
More than RM40mil in assets were also seized in the operation, which police said was just the first phase of a massive operation to root out illegal ewaste plants in the country.
The IGP Secretariat's Anti-Money Laundering (AMLA) division head Comm Datuk Muhammad Hasbullah Ali said the factories were in Pekan and Muadzam Shah, Pahang; Simpang Renggam, Johor; Hulu Selangor and Rawang, Selangor; and Rembau and Gemencheh, Negri Sembilan.
"We conducted the raids following information supplied by the public and based on our intelligence gathering," he told a press conference here on Tuesday (Aug 13).
"The factories had been operating since last year, processing ewaste by burning and causing air pollution.
"The activity can also cause harm to residents in the surrounding areas because of hazardous fumes."
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The unlicensed factories brought in the ewaste from countries around Asia, Comm Hasbullah added.
"The ewaste is processed into metal blocks and sold overseas for millions of ringgit.
"The factory operators also employed foreign workers without proper permits," he said.
The local suspects have been remanded for between five and seven days, and the foreigners for 14 days, he said.
"We are still tracking down several individuals believed to be owners of the factories.
"We also seized assets including metal blocks, pallets of ewaste, vehicles and machinery worth RM43.1mil in total," he said.
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Comm Hasbullah said the land on which the factories stood had also been seized.
"A total of 19 officers and 55 division personnel along with 110 officers and personnel from the General Operations Force were involved in the operation," he said.
Investigations showed that each factory employed up to eight workers.
"They would conduct the processing and burning at night to avoid detection.
"The locals detained were land owners while the foreigners nabbed consisted of technicians and experts in ewaste processing," Comm Hasbullah said.
