AKPS SEIZES OVER 125 TONNES OF E-WASTE, MONITORS PORTS FOR NIPAH VIRUS

PELABUHAN KLANG, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) has intercepted five shipping containers holding more than 125 tonnes of illegal e-waste at West Port.

The seizure, made during inspections last Tuesday morning, uncovered a consignment of banned scheduled waste, comprising crushed wire cables and assorted industrial and commercial trash.

AKPS Port Klang commander Datuk Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal said that initial investigations indicate a clear case of fraudulent declaration, where the submitted documentation deliberately misrepresented the shipment's contents to deceive authorities and circumvent inspection protocols.

“The illicit shipment originated from the United States, Spain, South Korea and Taiwan. Official paperwork listed some items as aluminium alloy post-decoration, a description contradicted by the actual cargo,” he revealed during a press briefing at the CFS 4 Warehouse Site in West Port today.

He emphasised that this is a serious offence involving document forgery, fraud, and an attempt to evade customs duties and national import restrictions.

Nik Ezanee said that all five containers have been impounded for a comprehensive investigation, with enforcement action to be pursued under Section 133 of the Customs Act 1967 and the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

He attributed the successful interception to the agency's sustained intelligence efforts to prevent Malaysia from becoming a dumping ground for illegal waste and to protect both national biosecurity and domestic industries.

"The total value of the seizure is pending. Authorities must first receive the official sample analysis from the Department of Environment before deciding on further steps, such as returning the containers to the countries of origin.

"This operation is a critical deterrent against smuggling through our major ports and reflects the effective collaboration between AKPS and port authorities," he added.

In a related incident, Nik Ezanee disclosed that the AKPS also seized two containers of pork-based products yesterday, valued at approximately RM873,000.

The shipment, suspected to be from Belgium, was held for breaching import regulations, notably for originating from an unapproved facility.

He said investigations into the containers are in progress, and this latest seizure brings the total value of pork confiscations at Port Klang this month to RM2 million.

In response to the Nipah virus threat, Nik Ezanee said officers from the Ministry of Health (MOH) are now stationed at the West Port terminal to assist with cargo clearance and ensure public safety.

"For public health threats like the Nipah virus, we implement close monitoring of high-risk products and specific countries of origin. No other threats have been detected to date. We will continue this surveillance until instructed otherwise by the authorities," he said

On a related note, a MOH statement earlier today confirmed that Malaysia has had no new Nipah cases since successfully containing an outbreak in 1999.

The ministry issued the statement after India reported two human Nipah cases in Bengal last month, prompting many nations to tighten screening at their international entry points.

-- BERNAMA