Thai officials seize over 200 tons of electronic waste illegally imported from the US
Thai officials seize over 200 tons of electronic waste illegally imported from the US
Thai officials said Wednesday they seized 238 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States at the port of Bangkok, one of the biggest lots they've found this year.
The waste, which came in 10 large containers, was declared as mixed metal scrap but turned out to be circuit boards mixed in a huge pile of metal scrap, said Theeraj Athanavanich, director-general of the Customs Department. It was found Tuesday in a random inspection.
A UN report last year said electronic waste is piling up worldwide. Some 62 million tons of electronic waste was generated in 2022 and that figure is on track to reach 82 million tons by 2030, the report said.
It said only 22% of the waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022 and that quantity is expected to fall to 20% by the end of the decade due to higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, and inadequate management infrastructure.
Theeraj said Thai authorities are looking to press charges including falsely declaring imported goods, illegally importing electronic waste and planning to return the waste to its country of origin.
'It's important that we take action on this kind of goods,' he said. 'There are environmental impacts that are dangerous to the people, especially communities around factories that might import these things for processing, then recycling.'
Electronic waste creates huge health hazards. Many components are laden with lead and mercury, cadmium and other toxins. Recyclers are after gold, silver, palladium and copper, mainly from printed circuit boards, but lax controls mean that facilities often burn plastics to release encased copper and use unsafe methods to extract precious metals.
Thailand passed a ban on the import of a range of electronic waste products in 2020. The Cabinet in February approved an expanded list of the banned waste.
Sunthron Kewsawang, deputy director-general of the Department of Industrial Works, said officials suspected at least two factories in Samut Sakhon province, which borders Bangkok, are involved in importing the waste.
In January, the Customs Department said it seized 256 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from Japan and Hong Kong at a port in eastern Thailand.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Hamas killed 5 workers, potentially 'abducted' some others, says Gaza aid group
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said the attack happened when the bus was carrying the staffers to one of its aid distribution sites near the southern Gaza Strip's Khan Younis read more Local Palestinian staffers of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in blue vests form a human chain to protect female aid recipients at one of GHF's distribution sites on June 9, 2025. (Source: GNF) A Gaza aid group said in a statement on Wednesday (June 11) that Hamas operatives staged an attack on a bus carrying its Gazan staffers, killing some of them and potentially abducting others. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said five of its members were killed in the attack. The statement added that the attack happened when the bus was carrying the staffers to one of GHF's aid distribution sites near the southern Gaza Strip's Khan Younis at around 10 pm local time. The group said it was still gathering information from ground zero. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It also vowed not to stop future efforts to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza. 'This attack did not happen in a vacuum. For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers, and the civilians who receive aid from us. These threats were met with silence,' the GHF statement read. Tussle over Gaza aid channels Hamas has advocated for resuming aid distribution via UN-supported channels, which Israel and the US claim enabled the group to siphon off significant portions of aid. The UN has refuted these allegations, asserting that the GHF model jeopardises Palestinians by requiring them to travel long distances through IDF-controlled areas to collect food supplies. Since the GHF began operations on May 26, 2025, the Red Cross and Hamas-affiliated health officials have reported frequent mass-casualty incidents involving Palestinians en route to aid distribution sites. The IDF has admitted to firing 'warning shots' on at least eight occasions, targeting individuals who deviated from designated routes, contributing to the casualties. Meanwhile, the GHF reported on Wednesday that it has distributed approximately 271,200 boxes of aid, primarily containing dry food products requiring preparation elsewhere. Since Israel partially lifted its blockade on May 19, 2025, an average of 65 aid trucks have entered Gaza daily. However, the World Food Programme indicates that about 300 trucks per day are necessary to adequately meet the needs of Gaza's population, which IDF officials admitted was nearing starvation before aid resumed following a 78-day blockade. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- The Hindu
Israel recovers bodies of two hostages from Gaza
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) that the bodies of two hostages had been recovered from Gaza by the military and the domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet. Also Read | Israel retrieves the body of a Thai hostage as 95 people are reported killed in Gaza Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement that the body of hostage Yair Yaakov had been retrieved, along with that of another hostage whose identity has not been cleared for publication. The Israeli military said militants from the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad abducted and killed Yaakov during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Militants also took Yaakov's partner, Meirav Tal, and two of his children, Or and Yagil, hostage but later released them, the military said. Yaakov was 59 at the time of his death. The military said it notified the family of the second hostage whose body it recovered, adding that it retrieved the bodies in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza. There are 53 hostages still being held in Gaza, with fewer than half believed to be alive. The latest recovery brings to five the number of hostage bodies retrieved by Israeli forces so far this month. Hamas and other militants from Gaza abducted 251 people during the 2023 attack in which about 1,200 people in Israel were killed. Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas in Gaza has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
The ‘Global shadow pandemic' we still don't talk about
She is a tech entrepreneur, author, and relentless advocate for gender equality in STEM and beyond. Over the past 20 years, she had immersed herself in the fast-paced world of technology and AI, building innovative products and leading initiatives that challenge the status quo. LESS ... MORE If one-third of men worldwide were being assaulted, it would be declared a global emergency. So why isn't it – when that's the reality for women? Violence against women and girls is not a sidebar to global crises. It is the crisis. And it's been going on long before COVID, conflicts, or climate collapse. Gender-based violence (GBV) is the world's oldest, quietest, and deadliest pandemic, a daily emergency hiding in plain sight. More than one in three women globally have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Let that sink in. This figure hasn't changed much in decades, despite increased awareness and policy talk. From domestic abuse and sexual assault to child marriage, trafficking, female genital mutilation and online harassment, the forms of violence vary, but the pattern doesn't. Across cultures, classes, and countries, being female still comes with a built-in risk factor. How can women fully participate in society or enjoy their rights if they cannot even feel safe in their own homes or communities? The most dangerous place for a woman? Home. Not long ago, I found my house help standing in the kitchen, arm swollen, face bruised, silence louder than any scream. Her husband, an addict, had beaten her again. For money. When I asked why she stayed, she said, 'Where will I go with my children? A woman without a man isn't just judged, she lives under the weight of every prying eye.' This is not an isolated story. It's the everyday reality for millions of women, some visible, many invisible. And the most damning part? The system expects them to endure. We often frame safety in terms of war or street crime. But for women, the front line is usually home. According to the UN, 137 women are killed every day by a family member. That's one woman murdered every 11 minutes, by someone she likely trusted. This isn't poetic metaphor. It's femicide. And it makes clear that the so-called 'war on women' is more than a slogan; in many places, it's a chilling reality. In 2022, only 57% of women across 139 countries felt safe walking alone at night in their neighbourhood, according to the SDG Gender Index. Which means nearly half the world's women feel unsafe just… existing. Alone. After dark. And, crises don't create misogyny, they expose it Violence doesn't pause for a pandemic or war. In fact, crises accelerate it. During COVID-19 lockdowns, domestic violence helplines reported a 30–50% surge in calls as women were trapped with their abusers. In conflict zones, from Ukraine to Tigray, rape is still used as a weapon of war. And after natural disasters like floods or wildfires, domestic abuse spikes dramatically. One Australian study after the 2009 bushfires, found that women in affected areas reported significantly higher rates of abuse. The formula is disturbingly predictable: stress, instability, displacement, and broken safety nets become breeding grounds for violence. Where systems crack, misogyny leaks in. Patriarchy writes the rules, and women pay the price At its core, gender-based violence is powered by unequal power – structural, cultural, and legal. In societies where men's authority is unquestioned and women's subservience is expected, violence becomes normalised. Take this: more than one in four countries still don't have explicit laws protecting women from domestic violence. In some places, marital rape isn't even considered a crime. In others, rapists can escape punishment by marrying their victims. These aren't legal loopholes. They are permission slips. Even where laws exist, they're often toothless. Survivors face stigma, disbelief, and a justice system more interested in their character than their complaint. Globally, less than 40% of women who experience violence report it or seek help, not because it's rare, but because justice feels out of reach. And then there's the culture: 'Why didn't she leave?' 'What was she wearing?' 'Why did she provoke him?' Questions like these aren't just ignorant – they're complicit. A broken system that costs lives, and billions This isn't just a women's issue. It's a societal collapse in slow motion. The World Bank estimates that intimate partner violence alone costs countries around 3% of their GDP, as much as diseases like HIV/AIDS. Survivors lose jobs, education, health, and social networks. Children exposed to violence carry emotional trauma for life and are more likely to replicate it. Even peace is at risk. Research shows that the best predictor of a country's peacefulness is how it treats its women. Where women are unsafe, societies are unstable. Laws are not enough. Culture needs surgery There's no denying progress. The global response to #MeToo made sexual violence a mainstream issue. More countries are outlawing street harassment and even marital rape. Grassroots activism is louder than ever. But laws on paper mean nothing if they're unfunded, unenforced, or undermined. Here's what real progress must look like: Make laws that scare abusers, not survivors Every form of GBV should be criminalised: from physical assault to digital stalking and economic abuse. Police, prosecutors, and judges need gender-sensitive training, and fast-tracked GBV courts can help survivors get justice without being re-traumatised. Shelters aren't luxury, they're lifelines Shelters, hotlines, trauma counselling, legal aid, these aren't optional. They're critical infrastructure. And yet in many countries, there are only a handful of safe houses for millions of women. That's not just neglect. It's structural indifference. Raise better boys before we raise the next law We need gender education in schools. Boys and girls must learn about consent, respect, and relationships that don't rely on power or control. Public campaigns must flip the blame from victim to perpetrator, where it belongs. Call out the power brokers who excuse violence When a politician jokes about sexual assault or a religious leader preaches female submission, that isn't rhetoric, it's rot. Leaders must be held to a higher standard. Every country should have a national action plan on GBV, with transparent goals and public tracking. Technology can save, or destroy, lives Tech is a double-edged sword. On one side, apps and SMS helplines now allow discreet calls for help. On the other, online harassment is skyrocketing, and surveillance tech like stalking apps are being weaponised by abusers. As the digital world grows, so must our protections. There's progress, but it's not inevitable The good news? Attitudes are shifting. In the last decade, the number of women who believe domestic violence is justifiable has declined significantly in many regions. In countries like Rwanda, integrated legal reform and women's empowerment programs have driven down abuse rates. But this shift didn't happen by accident. It happened because people, policies, and pressure converged. No safety, no progress. Period. Let's be clear: we cannot talk about economic empowerment, political participation, or digital inclusion for women if they're not even safe. Safety is not a luxury. It's the floor on which every other right stands. The SDG Gender Index calls safety a prerequisite for equality. But governments still treat GBV like a 'women's issue' instead of the full-blown security and development crisis that it is. Until we treat GBV like a pandemic, with urgency, funding, and political will, millions of women and gender-diverse people will remain on the front lines of a war they never signed up for. In the next article in this series, we'll turn to a crisis reshaping the ground beneath us -Climate change. From floods to food insecurity, why women and girls are the most vulnerable to a crisis they didn't cause, and why gender justice must be at the heart of climate action. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
