KUALA LUMPUR: A man with a Datuk title was among 45 foreigners and 10 locals arrested following the first phase of Federal police's crackdown on illegal e-waste factories nationwide.
The factories were believed to have received raw electronic waste smuggled in from other Asian countries to be processed and melted down.
The metals would then be separated before the finished materials were re-sold to Asian countries that were producing electronic components.
Police from Bukit Aman's Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Unit (AMLA) together with personnel from the General Operations Force conducted simultaneous raids in Pahang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Johor on Aug 5 which led to the seizure of e-waste blocks, assets and equipment and heavy machinery worth RM43.19mil.
AMLA Criminal Investigation Unit chief Datuk Muhammed Hasbullah Ali said in Pahang, raids were conducted at Salong, Pekan and Bukit Ibam in Muadzam Shah while in Selangor, raids were conducted at Kuang and Bukit Tagar.
"We also raided factories at Rembau and Gemencheh in Negri Sembilan as well as one in Simpang Renggam, Johor.
"A total of 184 personnel from AMLA and the GOF conducted the operations at the seven locations following tip-offs and intelligence gathered," he told a press conference at the AMLA Unit office here today (Tuesday).
He said in Pahang, police received information from Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, on the issue.
"Based on our investigations these factories were located in isolated areas and surrounded by jungles or plantations. They have been operating since last year, burning and melting the e-waste which is harmful to the environment," he said, adding that their operations were capable of generating millions of ringgit in profit.
Hasbullah said none of the factories had valid licences or permits to process e-waste.
"They were also found to be employing foreigners illegally to work on-site. Based on our investigations, some of these foreigners were brought in specifically based on their knowledge and expertise in processing e-waste," he said, adding that 45 foreigners and 10 locals were arrested for suspected involvement in the factories.
He said one of the men arrested held a Datuk title, but an investigation was underway to determine his role.
Hasbullah said the locals were remanded for between five and seven days while the foreigners were remanded for 14 days to facilitate further investigations.
"We believe some of the locals arrested are the land owners where the factories were operating.
"We have opened investigations under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, Section 32 of the Forestry Act, Section 24 of the Environment Quality Act, Section 135 of the Customs Act and Section 55B of the Immigration Act.
"We also cannot rule out the possibility that officials were bribed to turn a blind eye to the factories' operations," he said.
"We have also frozen the land that was used to set up these illegal factories," he said.
Last week, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said police were targeting such illegal factories, which were notorious for causing noise and air pollution.
He said the locations of these illegal factories would be determined in phases by the Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation (AMLA) Unit in Bukit Aman.