Police from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, and officials from the Industrial Works Department, seized about 41.5 tonnes of dangerous chemicals in a raid on three illegal recycling plants in Si Maha Phot district of Prachin Buri province yesterday.
A Chinese engineer, who oversees the operations of the three recycling plants, was arrested.
Police said that one of the three plants had defied the shutdown order issued by the provincial industrial works office, while the other two have operated without a license.
Several dangerous chemicals were found at the plants, including cadmium, tellurium, beryllium, lead, arsenic and mercury.
Police said the chemicals were being used to extract lead, copper and aluminium from industrial waste for export to China, adding that all three plants were ordered to shut down.
