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IN the aftermath of a major nationwide raid earlier this month, police are looking into potential links between 47 e-waste processing plants that were targeted.
Bukit Aman’s Internal Security and Public Order Department Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim (pic) director, revealed in an interview with the New Straits Times, that part of the ongoing investigation is focused on the companies behind these illegal operations.
"We are currently examining whether the entities responsible for these e-waste facilities are interconnected," Azmi said, adding, "However, based on the evidence we've gathered so far, we cannot definitively confirm that these operations are part of a coordinated syndicate. Additional investigation is required."
According to Azmi, a significant number of the plants were found to be processing e-waste that had been illegally smuggled into the country via sea routes. “The majority of these facilities were supplied with e-waste brought in illegally by sea," he told New Straits Times today.
However, the investigation uncovered a different practice at one of the plants in Sarawak, where e-waste was being sourced locally.
"We discovered that one of the factories we raided in Sarawak had been purchasing e-waste from local suppliers. These suppliers would collect electronic waste from the surrounding community and sell it to the illegal processing plant," Azmi said.
The police are emphasising the importance of collaboration between multiple enforcement agencies to tackle this problem effectively.
"It is crucial for the police and the Department of Environment to work together with other relevant agencies to address this issue," Azmi stressed.
"We are committed to ensuring the safety of the country and its citizens, and we need the support of other agencies to curb the smuggling of e-waste into Malaysia."
Azmi also indicated that federal authorities are investigating the potential involvement of foreign nationals in running the illegal e-waste factories that were raided.
"There is a possibility that while the factories may be registered under Malaysian entities, they are actually being managed by foreign proxies," he said.
The crackdown on e-waste trafficking has been successful in seizing illegal materials, with police reporting RM2.8 billion worth of illegal e-waste confiscated under the ongoing operation, Op Hazard, during the first two months of 2025.
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This figure far surpasses the total RM1 billion worth of e-waste seized throughout the entirety of 2024, Azmi added.
In a related raid, Bernama reported that the Region Two Marine Police Force (PPM) raided an illegal e-waste processing and storage facility in Kampung Baru Sengkang, Kulai, on Tuesday, seizing over RM40 million worth of hazardous materials.
The raid, which took place at approximately 8:15 am, was executed following public tip-offs and is part of the ongoing crackdown under Op Taring Landai, with the collaboration of Johor’s Department of Environment (DOE) and the Kulai Municipal Council (MPKu).
Johor police chief, Datuk M. Kumar, confirmed that the operation resulted in the detention of a number of individuals.
“We apprehended a total of 14 suspects, including a local man, a Chinese national, nine Indonesian men, one woman, two men from Myanmar, and a Bangladeshi national.
“Their ages ranged from 20 to 49 years, and they were detained for various offenses,” Kumar stated in a press release following the operation.
The police seized a substantial amount of hazardous e-waste, which included 348 sacks filled with tin plates, 612 sacks containing cut automotive batteries, 33 boxes and pallets loaded with more automotive batteries, as well as two dust control units, ovens, and nine sacks of electronic component waste.
The total haul also included 13 square tanks filled with battery water, 18 tonnes of e-waste, 1,290 tonnes of batteries, and 696 tonnes of tin. In total, the items seized amounted to a staggering RM41.41 million, reported Bernama.
“All seized items were transferred to the Department of Environment for further investigation under several provisions, including Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1969/63, as well as Sections 34A, 34B, and 18(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974,” added Kumar. - February 27, 2025