Unexpected clues: DCP Mohamad Suzrin (left) inspecting bullet casings at one of the factories raided in Telok Panglima Garang. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LANGAT: Some 50 tonnes of bullet casings, fired bullets and live ammunition were found at an illegal e-waste recycling factory.
Internal Security and Public Order deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Mohamad Suzrin Mohamad Rodhi said the items were discovered during a raid on the premises in Telok Panglima Garang here.
He said the operation was initially targeted at illicit e-waste processing, but investigators unexpectedly stumbled upon sacks filled with ammunition in various conditions, due for re-smelting and export.
He said the factory had been in operation for two years.
“Investigations are underway to determine the source of the items.
“We believe they are from outside Malaysia,” DCP Mohamad Suzrin said, adding the e-waste was also believed to have come from overseas.
He said 70 to 80 workers were held for inspection during the raid.
At the “kitchen” area of the factory, casings and bullets were discovered in various states of smelting.
Some had already undergone transformation into metal bars and were ready for export. Several woks brimmed with melted metal and other scraps.
Neatly arranged ingots, labelled with their respective weights, stood nearby.
Sacks of spent bullets and casings littered the area, alongside countless piles of circuit boards, headphones and laptops. Patches of melted iron and ash also littered some sections of the ground.
The Central Brigade General Operations Force, in collaboration with the municipal council and the Environment Department, conducted the raid as part of Ops Hazard.
A press conference is expected to be held on Thursday.
Environment Department head of dangerous materials Azlan Ahmad said many hazards were found at the factory.
“The smelting area had no proper ventilation for the smoke,” he added.
He said a special permit is required to recycle ammunition and that it is an offence to do so without permission.
“Ammunition falls under the category of explosive materials, and this raid marks its first discovery. We are viewing the matter seriously,” he said.
Azlan also explained that Malaysia’s e-waste uses different chemicals as opposed to that overseas, adding that cheap labour is a factor in why waste is sent here.
The operation saw a total of 47 premises raided nationwide.
Ten of the locations were in Sabah and Sarawak, five in Selangor, and four in Kedah.
