INTERACTIVE: The Star reports uncover over 2,000 tonnes of illegal e-waste

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI

PETALING JAYA: Some 2,069 tonnes of illegal e-waste worth RM151.6mil were seized in raids on illegal processing and recycling plants nationwide over the past year.

A check and compilation of The Star reports from April 2025 to April 2026 found 37 reports related to the illegal e-waste trade, ranging from raids on unlicensed factories and seizures at ports to statements from enforcement agencies and ministries.

Of the total reports, four involved raids and seizures at illegal e-waste processing or recycling plants, while seven were related to seizures of illegal e-waste shipments at ports.

The raids on illegal processing facilities were conducted in several locations, including Ipoh, Bukit Tambun, Seremban and Gopeng.

Among the largest seizures was an operation in Ipoh, Perak, in June last year, where authorities seized 1,500 bags of e-waste worth RM111mil, with each bag weighed between 850kg and 1,000kg.

In March this year, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Ministry announced that it was setting up a national committee to address illegal e-waste activities and strengthen coordination among enforcement agencies.

In a statement, the ministry said discussions at the meeting focused on enhancing enforcement against environmental crimes, including the entry of illegal e-waste into the country.

Last month, NRES Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said a total of 214 compound notices had been issued for environment-related offences, particularly involving the storage and processing of illegal e-waste.

He said Ops Hazard 3.0 achieved its biggest success when about 4,714 tonnes of e-waste, valued at over RM23.79mil, were seized in simultaneous operations across several states.

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