About 300 tonnes of cadmium slag were found in a warehouse in Bangkok’s Bang Sue district on Wednesday, by officers from the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division.

The officers searched the warehouse of the Lor Loha Thai Metal company, located in Soi Riang Preecha off Pracharat Road, and found the cadmium slag stored in 190 large bags.

A woman, only identified as “Wanna”, claimed that she and her husband “Jessada” own the company. Jessada is a partner in the J&B Metal company in Bang Nam Jerd sub-district of Samut Sakhon, where cadmium slag, originally from Tak province, was found.

Both Wanna and Jessada have been charged with storing a dangerous substance without a permit and the 300 tonnes of cadmium slag were impounded.

Industry Minister Pimpatra Wichaikul and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt later visited the warehouse in Bang Sue and ordered officials to check the drainage system around the warehouse, to make sure that waste water from the premises is not discharged into a nearby canal.

The minister assured residents living in the neighbourhoods of the warehouses in Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri and Bangkok’s Bang Sue district not to panic, saying that none the impounded cadmium slag will be moved from the premises without permission from the authorities.

All the impounded material will be transported back to the landfill in Tak province this month and buried by mid-May.