The raid resulted in the detention of 22 foreign men and left one enforcement personnel injured.
PETALING JAYA: The Immigration Department have raided a factory in Ijok, Selangor, suspected of masking illegal e-waste processing as a plastic recycling operation. The raid resulted in the detention of 22 foreign men and left one enforcement personnel injured.
Immigration Department Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated that the operation, conducted on April 7, was carried out jointly with the Kuala Selangor Labour Department following a month of intelligence gathering and public tip-offs.
Those detained comprise seven Chinese nationals and 15 Bangladeshi men, aged between 21 and 66.
“The premises, which were operating as a polymer factory, are believed to have been carrying out e-waste processing activities covertly,” Zakaria said in a statement today.
He explained that the facility was managed by a Chinese national who allegedly used a plastic recycling licence to mislead authorities.
E-waste transported by lorries or containers was reportedly mislabelled as recycled plastic to avoid detection.
The factory was also believed to have housed undocumented workers and was fitted with a sophisticated monitoring and early warning system designed to detect the presence of enforcement officers and conceal illicit activities.
Zakaria stated that initial checks uncovered multiple immigration breaches. One Chinese national was held for allegedly employing individuals without valid documentation.
During the bust, authorities seized several Bangladeshi and Chinese passports, time-record cards and the business licence of the premises.
The operation turned volatile when the caretaker refused to cooperate. Several suspects reportedly acted aggressively, attempting to flee or hide to avoid arrest.
“One operations officer was injured during the inspection and received treatment at Sungai Buloh Hospital,” Zakaria confirmed.
All detainees have been taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further action. A local man was also issued a notice to assist with the ongoing investigation.
