KUALA LUMPUR: A staggering half a billion ringgit worth of illegal e-waste, including components and products, was seized in a nationwide operation involving 57 premises.
Codenamed Ops Hazard 2.0, the multi-agency raid was spearheaded by the police’s General Operations Force and uncovered a web of crimes, possible tax evasion and exploitation of foreign labour.
Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Comm Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim said 453 people, aged between 16 and 70, were arrested, with 41 of them Malaysians, while the rest were foreigners from countries including Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia and the Philippines.
The Inland Revenue Board also estimated potential tax evasion losses of up to RM500mil linked to the illegal operations, he said.
“Among the offences detected were conducting illegal e-waste processing business, employing undocumented migrants and operating without valid business licences,” Comm Azmi said during a press conference at Bukit Aman yesterday.
Seized items included RM240mil worth of e-waste products, RM182mil in components and RM82mil in various other assets.
He said the latest operation brings the total value of seized e-waste materials since January to RM13.2bil, with 1,060 individuals detained.
“Ops Hazard 2.0 has increased the pressure on the illegal e-waste industry,” Comm Azmi said, adding that syndicates are adapting by using proxies, exploiting loopholes and possibly even receiving tip-offs ahead of raids.
In some cases, targeted premises were found already closed when enforcement teams arrived, raising suspicions of information leaks.
“We will work with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to curb this problem. We also believe the syndicates have become more cautious since Ops Hazard 1.0,” he said.
A total of 1,582 officers and personnel were involved in Ops Hazard 2.0.
Meanwhile, Environment Department enforcement division director Rosli Zul revealed a worrying twist: seven of the raided premises were licensed e-waste processors, now under investigation for allegedly importing waste illegally.
“These facilities had valid licences, but we found some e-waste materials believed to have been smuggled in from overseas,” he said.
“We have to investigate further. If confirmed, it would represent a very serious violation of the law.”
Malaysia, Rosli added, continues to be targeted by international e-waste syndicates.
“Over 600 containers have already been detected at Port Klang. Many were falsely declared as recyclable items but actually contained e-waste.
“Most of these illegal factories lack proper environmental control mechanisms. The pollution resulting from their operations is highly dangerous,” he warned.
