MACC detains six company owners, freezes RM7.2mil in e-waste cases

MACC detains six company owners, freezes RM7.2mil in e-waste cases

KOTA BARU: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has remanded six company owners found to be involved in the smuggling of electronic waste (e-waste) into the country and frozen 14 accounts amounting to RM7.2mil.

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said two more company owners suspected of involvement in the same offence could be detained soon.

“So far, seven companies operating in Selangor have been identified as masterminding the entry of e-waste into the country. Two more company owners are currently being tracked for further action.

“MACC is also conducting investigations into several companies in Negri Sembilan believed to be involved in similar activities,” he said at a press conference after the ‘MACC Cares Programme: MACC with Media Eastern Zone’ here on Thursday (Jan 22).

Azam said preliminary investigations found that the activities had been carried out for about five years using various methods to smuggle the prohibited items into the country.

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Elaborating further, Azam said MACC does not place full blame on the customs authorities as smuggling syndicates are constantly finding ways to bring in e-waste, including mixing the waste with containers of other goods.

“National laws clearly do not allow the importation of e-waste. MACC will calculate the profits obtained by the companies involved based on the duration of the activities for follow-up action,” he said.

He said more than 3,000 containers are unloaded at Port Klang in Selangor every month, making enforcement duties more challenging.

As such, he said MACC is adopting a new approach by implementing integrated enforcement involving the Customs Department and the Environment Department, with a focus on corruption and government revenue leakages.

“The e-waste issue is not a small matter. It is a shared responsibility to ensure that Malaysia does not become a dumping ground for electronic waste from abroad that could pollute the environment,” he said.

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On Wednesday, the media reported that MACC would intensify investigations into illegal e-waste importation activities following intelligence that revealed between 2,000 and 3,000 containers of e-waste are smuggled into the country through major ports monthly. – Bernama