PETALING JAYA: An inspection at Westport, Port Klang, uncovered 37 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) concealed in two shipping containers that had been smuggled into the country using false customs declarations, says the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS).
Port Klang AKPS commander Deputy Comm Datuk Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal said the seizure, which was made during an inspection at about 9am yesterday, focused on six containers that had earlier been detained by container scanning officers.
Two of the containers were found to be loaded with e-waste.
“One container carried 14,832kg of discarded electronic items, including remote controls, keyboards, credit card machines and CPUs, while the other contained 22,196kg of used printers and receipt printing machines,” he said.
Investigations revealed that the containers were smuggled into Malaysia last December and this month using false declarations in the Customs information system.
“One shipment was declared as ABS plastic flakes while the other was declared as industrial machinery,” DCP Nik Ezanee said in a statement.
Importation of scheduled waste is strictly prohibited under the Environmental Quality Act.
DCP Nik Ezanee said the seized containers would be placed in a secure area pending further notice from the Selangor Department of Environment (DOE) and the DOE headquarters for re-export procedures.
He also said the operation was conducted with the assistance of the Customs Control Unit, Sirim, Port Klang Authority and Selangor DOE.
The AKPS will continue to intensify inspections on containers suspected of carrying prohibited waste, he added.
