GOPENG: The General Operations Force (GOF) Ulu Kinta seized electronic waste and equipment worth about RM18mil in a raid on an illegal processing factory in Kampung Kepayang here.
GOF northern brigade commander Senior Asst Comm Balveer Singh Mahindar Singh said the 7am operation yesterday, conducted under Ops Hazard Mega 3.0, was led by the police through the Internal Security and Public Order Department, with the cooperation of the Department of Environment and the Immigration Department.
“Preliminary investigations found that the factory had been operating illegally for about four years, sourcing e-waste from overseas.
“The materials were crushed and sorted according to metal categories before being sent to nearby smelters to be processed into metal blocks,” he told reporters yesterday, Bernama reported.
A total of 26 suspects were detained, comprising 17 Myanmar nationals (11 men and six women) and nine Indian men, aged between 18 and 49.
SAC Balveer said the seized items included 225,000kg of e-waste, 800 jumbo bags of the materials, various processing machinery and a diesel tank containing about 20,000 litres of fuel.
He said the operation also targeted 19 other premises across seven locations each in Kedah and Penang, and five in Perak, involving 249 personnel from multiple agencies.
“Those with information on environmental pollution activities or offences under the Environmental Quality Act and the Immigration Act should come forward.
“Such cooperation is vital to ensure northern states remain free from activities that violate the law,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 18(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 for operating without approval and also under the Local Government Act 1976 for operating without a licence.
