Authorities have seized 256 tonnes of suspected hazardous electronic waste from a factory in Bang Pahan district, Ayutthaya, amid ongoing efforts to curb environmental crimes in Thailand, reads a Bangkok Post report.
Pol Maj Gen Watcharin Pusit, commander of the Natural Resource and Environment Crime Suppression Division, said on Sunday that the operation was conducted jointly by police and industrial officials. The raid, carried out on Saturday at a facility in Moo 6 village, tambon Bang Pahan, uncovered piles of electronic waste along with auto parts and barrels of contaminated oil.
The factory was identified as a possible source of illegally handled hazardous waste following the arrest of a 48-year-old man named Sarawut, who was apprehended while transporting electronic waste in Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani.
Sarawut, who was en route to Bangkok’s Bang Na district, told police he had collected the waste from the Ayutthaya factory. His confession prompted authorities to conduct a search of the premises.
Investigators are now working to determine whether the factory was legally authorized to possess and process such materials. As of Sunday, the legitimacy of the waste’s possession had not been verified.
The raid forms part of a broader crackdown on illicit handling of hazardous waste, which poses serious risks to both public health and the environment.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
