The Kedah branch of the Department of Environment (DOE) raided a factory believed to be conducting illegal scheduled waste recovery activities in the Sungei Petani Industrial Area yesterday. Its director, Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the raid at 9 pm was carried out after her team found that there was a scheduled transfer of electronic waste (e-waste) at the factory. "The DOE enforcement team, together with police, conducted the raid. During the operation, several individuals in the factory managed to escape via a back passage,' she said in a statement here today. "The result of an investigation found that it (factory) was carrying out electronic waste separation and storing the scheduled waste categorised as SW110, which is e-waste from electrical and electronic assembly, and SW103 (lithium batteries). Sharifah Zakiah said a trailer was found in the factory area, and some scrap metal waste and a jumbo bag suspected of containing scheduled waste were being loaded into the trailer. "Several piles of e -waste were also found and samples of this were taken and sent to the Chemistry Department of Malaysia for analysis. All the scheduled waste as well as the trailer were seized, with the value of the seized items estimated to be worth RM700,000,' she also said. According to her, action was taken under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127) and investigation papers for prosecution purposes will also be prepared for all offences under the relevant act. Source: BERNAMA News Agency