Container Seizures of Illegal e-Waste in Southeast Asia Follow Alerts from Environmental Watchdogs

For Immediate Release

'Operation Can Opener' Helps Governments Catch Waste Traffickers

Seattle, USA. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bangkok, Thailand. May 22, 2025. Recent government seizures of intermodal containers containing illegal shipments of electronic waste (e-waste) from the United States to Thailand and Malaysia have taken place, as a result of a renewed campaign of citizen alerts known as "Operation Can Opener". Initiated by the Basel Action Network (BAN) together with environmental organizations in Asia, Operation Can Opener provides actionable intelligence to customs and environmental agencies in waste-targeted countries, informing authorities of precise shipments likely to contain waste contraband, in time for the agencies to conduct search-and-seizure activities at the ports upon arrival.

Malaysia: 122 Containers of e-Waste Seized

Following from container seizures in 2024 triggered by BAN’s warnings, the Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad further announced in a May 19, 2025 press release that from January 1 to May 13, the Department of Environment (DOE) inspected 179 suspect containers. Of these, 122 containers (68%) were detained and confirmed to be carrying e-waste. Further investigations revealed that the importers had made false declarations to smuggle the waste into the country.

As a result, 119 Notices were issued to the importing companies requiring the return of the containers to the country of origin. The press release also served to notify plastic waste importers that they, too, would be subject to prosecutions if found guilty of violating the criteria set for plastic waste imports.

The Malaysian government further warned that there will be no compromise against any party that causes the country to become a destination for waste dumping. Stern action will be taken against parties found violating Malaysian environmental law on hazardous waste, a crime punishable by a fine of up to MYR10 million (2.3 million US dollars) or imprisonment for up to 5 years. The government also urged exporting countries to be responsible and ensure that all wastes shipped out of their borders do not violate the laws and sovereignty of the receiving countries.

Minister Nik Nazmi speaking by video recording at BAN’s side event at Basel Convention meeting, May 4, 2025. Copyright EARTH Thailand.

"Malaysia will continue to work with the Basel Action Network (BAN) and continue Malaysia’s commitment to combat the illegal importation of e-waste and plastics, particularly from developed countries. My discussions with BAN Executive Director and founder Jim Puckett focused on Malaysia’s efforts to intercept and repatriate containers of illegal waste as well as the importance of cooperation in information sharing and regional enforcement [translation]." -- Minister Nik Nazmi in May 2, 2025 post-Basel Convention Press Release.

Mageswari Sangaralingam, Honorary Secretary of BAN’s partner organization Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth) said: "We are happy to note that Operation Can Opener is enabling us to catch the waste criminals. We hope this will soon lead to prosecutions, fines, and imprisonment for the perpetrators that hide behind the word "recycling" while poisoning workers and communities."

Thai officials examining circuit board scrap. May 20, 2025, Copyright: EARTH Thailand.

Thailand: 16 Containers of e-Waste Seized

Thailand also confirmed that 6 containers alerted via Operation Can Opener were found to contain contraband e-waste, in addition to 10 containers found earlier in the month during a routine random inspection by the authorities. On May 14, 2025, 10 containers containing 238 metric tonnes of e-waste were seized and would be returned to the country of origin, the US. Photographs revealed the material to be processed printed circuit board scrap.

This was quickly followed by another 6 containers discovered on May 20, alerted to the Thai authorities by BAN. Thai environmental group. Ecological Alert and Recovery - Thailand (EARTH), was invited to be present as the containers were opened and searched, as they reported. These containers, too, contained e-waste which appeared to be printed circuit board scrap.

“The Chonburi Provincial Environmental and Pollution Control Office found that those electronic circuit boards contained a fairly high level of hazardous chemicals”, said, EARTH Executive Director Penchom Sae Tang, in Bangkok. "The government must take the strongest possible legal action and revise regulations and supervision on factories in the Free Trade Zone area.”

For more information:

Mr. Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network

jpuckett@ban.org

Wong Pui Yi, Basel Action Network (Malaysia)

puiyi.wpy@gmail.com

Penchom Sae Tang, EARTH

penchom.earth@gmail.com

About Basel Action Network

Founded in 1997, the Basel Action Network (BAN) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization of the United States, based in Seattle, WA. BAN is the world's only organization focused on confronting the global environmental justice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts. Today, BAN serves as the information clearinghouse on the subject of waste trade for journalists, academics, and the general public. Through its investigations, BAN uncovered the tragedy of hazardous electronic waste dumping in developing countries. For more information, see www.BAN.org.