Malaysian police recently uncovered a large-scale illegal electronic waste processing plant. In an operation on February 15 (last Saturday), they arrested 27 individuals, including a Chinese scientist.
According to local media Sinar Harian, the Malaysian police found this illegal electronic waste processing plant in the industrial area of Rimba Panjang in the northern state of Perak, seizing various items with a total value of 1.3 billion Malaysian Ringgit (approximately 278 million US dollars).
A police spokesperson revealed that the illegal factory had been operating for over eight months, covering an area of 4.8 hectares with four buildings equipped with machines for processing, smelting, and breaking down metal materials such as tin, iron, aluminum, and copper.
During operation, the factory used 10 generators and sourced water from nearby mining areas. Waste materials like iron or aluminum were processed into metal ingots and copper before being exported overseas.
Police investigations found that the illegal electronic waste was imported via containers from countries like the United States, Bolivia, and Oman, falsely labeled as animal feed and salt to avoid detection.
Local authorities arrested two Malaysian men and 25 foreigners, including a two-year-old child.
The spokesperson stated, “A local individual is believed to be the property owner and supervisor, responsible for managing workers inside the factory. The workers include 11 Chinese males, 10 males, two females, and one child from Myanmar. All Chinese nationals had identification documents, but further investigation revealed no immigration stamps.”
Police indicated they would investigate whether these documents were forged.
Under Malaysian law, individuals involved in such activities without the relevant work permits could face up to five years in prison and fines ranging from 100,000 to 10 million Malaysian Ringgit.
Reports from Malaysian media express concerns of Malaysian officials regarding foreign companies, particularly those from China, illegally processing electronic waste in Malaysia, which could impact the country’s security and environment.
According to the World Health Organization’s website, electronic waste is the fastest-growing solid waste stream globally. In 2019, an estimated 53.6 million tons of electronic waste were generated worldwide, but records show only 17.4% were properly collected and recycled.
Reference: Central News Agency