BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police have detained five individuals, including two foreign men and seized electronic waste (e-waste) components worth RM3mil during a raid on an illegal facility here.
Seberang Perai Tengah police chief Asst Comm Nik Aminuddin Raja Abdullah said the raid, conducted under Ops Hazard at 11.30am on Monday (June 15), followed suspicions that the premises was being used for the unlawful storage and processing of electrical and electronic waste.
He said those detained comprised two local women and one local man, as well as two Chinese nationals aged between 35 and 60.
"The three locals are the owners and operator of the premises, while the two foreign nationals failed to produce valid work permits during the inspection.
"Inspections found that the premises was being used as a storage and processing facility for e-waste. We also discovered 15 jumbo bags containing electrical circuit boards and electronic components believed to be scheduled waste, with the total value estimated at RM3mil," he said in a statement on Tuesday (June 16).
The raid was carried out by the Internal Security and Public Order Division of the Seberang Perai Tengah police headquarters in collaboration with the Environment Department, the Inland Revenue Board and the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP).
Nik Aminuddin said samples of the materials had been collected by the Environment Department for analysis and verification in accordance with the Environmental Quality Act 1974.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the premises had allegedly been operating for the past year and did not possess a valid business licence. As a result, MBSP had issued two compounds for operating a business without a licence.
"The case is being investigated under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Sections 18(1) and 31 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974," he said, adding that the three local suspects were remanded for one day, while the two foreign nationals were remanded for four days until June 19. – Bernama
