Customs seizes 256 tonnes of smuggled e-waste at Thai port
Thai Customs officials uncovered a haul of over 256 tonnes of hazardous electronic waste smuggled into the country from Japan and Hong Kong via Laem Chabang Port.
The seizure, announced at a press conference by Customs spokesperson Panthong Loykulnanta, highlights ongoing efforts to combat illegal waste imports under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s directive to prioritise public health and environmental safety.
Customs officials intercepted ten shipping containers, falsely declared as scrap and used metal, during inspections on January 3 and 6. The containers, nine from Japan and one from Hong Kong were packed with unusable electronic components and appliance parts classified as Category 3 hazardous waste. The total haul weighed an astonishing 256,320 kilogrammes.
“This illegal waste threatens public health and violates international agreements like the Basel Convention on hazardous waste.”
The Basel Convention governs the transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous waste, and Thailand requires prior import authorisation for such materials.
Customs Director General Theeraj Athanavanich has ordered intensified monitoring and enforcement to thwart these smuggling attempts. The department’s vigilance has already yielded results, with 19 cases of hazardous waste confiscations totalling 256,643 kilogrammes and six cases of plastic waste seizures amounting to 322,980 kilogrammes between October last year and January, reported The Nation.
The crackdown also aligns with the Ministry of Commerce’s ban on plastic scrap imports, which came into effect on January 1.
“In addition to electronic waste, we’re closely monitoring other hazardous goods like plastic scrap.”
In related news, police uncovered an extensive illegal operation where electronic waste was being unlawfully transported and stored in Samut Sakhon. The discovery is linked to previous activities involving closed factories.
Ekanat Promphan, Minister of Industry, revealed that a team led by Thitiphat Chotedechachainan and Ekaniti Ramyanont, along with local industry officials and the Department of Industrial Works, conducted a raid on C.H.H. Recycle Co., Ltd. in Samut Sakhon.
Latest Thailand News
