RM10.3mil in illegal e-waste seized in Sabah crackdown
KOTA KINABALU: Authorities seize more than RM10.3mil worth of illegal e-waste and detain 44 individuals in Sabah.
The joint enforcement operation, codenamed Ops Hazard 2.0, was carried out on Monday (June 16) across 16 locations identified as hotspots for unlawful e-waste collection and handling.
Sabah General Operations Force (GOF) commander Datuk Abdul Rani Alias said the raids were conducted in multiple districts, including Kota Kinabalu, Papar, Tuaran, Keningau, Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu and Sandakan.
313 personnel were involved in the integrated operation, representing various agencies, including the Environment Department, Customs Department, Fire and Rescue Department, Labour Department, local authorities and the Health Ministry.
'From the operation, 44 individuals were detained – 23 local men, five local women, and one child. We also arrested 10 men and five women from the Philippines and Indonesia,' he said in a statement on Thursday (June 19).
Investigations revealed that all raided premises were illegally buying and collecting e-waste without proper authorisation or compliance with environmental laws.
The seizures included a wide range of discarded electronic and electrical items, with the total value estimated at RM10.3mil.
Abdul Rani said several offences were detected during the operation. These included violations of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and its subsidiary legislation, the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005, for the illegal handling and storage of scheduled waste.
Other offences were committed under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for the presence of undocumented foreign nationals, the Control of Supplies Act 1961 for illegal trading activities, and the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 for non-compliance with public health regulations.
Additional breaches involved the Food Act 1983, the Fire Services Act 1988, the Sabah Labour Ordinance (Cap. 67) for employment violations, and the Trade Licensing Ordinance 1948 for operating without valid business licences.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Multinational firm fined for industrial effluent breach in Kulim
KULIM: A multinational company operating in the Kulim Industrial Area was fined RM33,000 by the Sessions Court here today for failing to comply with industrial effluent discharge standards. Sessions Court Judge Mirza Mohamad imposed the fine after the company's director, who appeared in court as the representative of the accused, pleaded guilty to the charge. Kedah Department of Environment (DoE) director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the offence was uncovered during an inspection on Dec 30 last year. She said checks showed that the company's effluent discharge had breached two parameters set under the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009. She added that the company was charged under Regulations 11(1)(b) and 12(b) of the Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009, under the Environmental Quality Act 1974. The offence carries a maximum penalty of RM100,000, five years' imprisonment, or both. In pleading for leniency, the company's director informed the court that efforts were underway to upgrade the plant's effluent treatment facilities to prevent future violations. However, the DoE prosecuting officer urged the court to impose a sentence that reflected the seriousness of the offence and served as a deterrent to other industry players.
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
GOF seizes Thai saplings, lorry worth RM400,000 over disease fears
RANTAU PANJANG: The General Operations Force (GOF) has seized 10,000 plant saplings and a lorry worth about RM400,000 over concerns the plants may carry harmful disease. GOF Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abd Hamid said a 34-year-old lorry driver was also arrested during the operation. A GOF team from the Ninth Battalion stopped the lorry near the Gual Tinggi health clinic around 11am, he said. "After checking the vehicle, they found 5,000 Barbados cherry saplings and 5,000 clove flower saplings inside it. "The GOF personnel believe the plants may be infested with harmful pests and disease. "They then detained the lorry driver and confiscated the plant saplings. The value of the seizure, including the lorry, is RM400,000," he added. Ros Azhan said initial investigations showed the saplings were headed to a local nursery. In a separate operation, the GOF seized various types of cosmetic products, estimated to be worth RM28,000, at an illegal jetty in Tumpat on Sunday. The suspected smugglers, however, fled to Thailand by boat upon realising the presence of the GOF team.
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Chinese, Bangladeshis nabbed as scam and e-waste ops busted
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has busted an online scam ring and illegal e-waste site in Klang Valley, arresting dozens of foreigners including Chinese and Bangladeshi nationals after surveillance and public tip offs. Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said following intelligence gathering, two high-end residences in Kajang and Kuala Lumpur were raided on suspicion of being used for scam activities last Thursday. During the raids, Immigration detained four men, three women and a young girl from China, along with one Taiwanese man, he said. "All those arrested, aged between four and 43, are suspected of committing offences under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963," Zakaria said in a statement today. In an another operation, enforcement officials detained 39 foreigners during a raid on an illegal electronic waste (e-waste) disposal centre in Pulau Indah, Klang. Zakaria said those arrested included Chinese nationals and Bangladeshi men, aged between 25 and 49. Both the raids were conducted by enforcement officers from the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya, with cooperation from the National Registration Department (NRD). Zakaria warned that the Immigration Department would not compromise with foreigners who stay illegally, overstay, or abuse their passes in the country.
