Photo: Bernama
IPOH: The General Operations Force (GOF) dismantled an illegal e-waste processing operation in Kanthan, Sungai Siput, seizing about RM1.3bil in e-waste and machinery.
GOF Northern Brigade Commander Senior Asst Comm Shahrum Hashim said the raid was conducted on Saturday (Feb 15) with the Perak Environment Department (DoE).
He added that this resulted in the arrest of 27 people, including foreign workers from China and Myanmar.
SAC Shahrum said the raid followed a month-long investigation and uncovered various e-waste and machinery at the premises.
This comes after raids on e-waste processing facilities in Selangor and Johor on Saturday and Sunday (Feb 16).
"We've seized machinery used for smelting, processing, and a laboratory to break down and identify materials like gold, tin, and copper,” he said.
"Among those arrested was a scientist from China who runs the laboratory and a two-year-old son of one of the Myanmar workers," added SAC Shahrum at a press conference on Sunday.
SAC Shahrum added that the DoE is conducting an inventory exercise and taking samples of the waste found.
"They have identified some e-waste containing heavy metals like aluminium, arsenic, mercury, and lead."
"Official samples will be sent to the National Chemistry Department for analysis to identify the specific composition of the waste," he added, noting that the factory operated for eight to nine months.
"The waste is believed to be from various countries, including China, the US, and Bolivia, with over a thousand bags tagged as food items."
"These were transported to the factory in containers from Port Klang," he added.
He said the factory was not registered with the DoE to process e-waste and was operating illegally.
"There are four building blocks at the 4.8ha premises, with another block being built."
They are also in the midst of setting up the perimeter wall," he added, saying the case will be investigated under the Environmental Quality Act.
SAC Shahrum said the foreign workers would also be investigated under the Immigration Act.
"Some of the Chinese workers have travel documents but without stamps, while the Myanmar workers do not have proper documents," he added.
