The Customs Department has seized 256 tonnes of electronic waste, imported in ten containers from Japan and Hong Kong, at the Laem Chabang port in Chonburi province.
The discovery was the result of a tip-off.
The department’s Director General, Chakkrit Uthensut, led the inspection of the containers, the contents of which were declared as 'scrap and used metals.'
Nine of the containers originated in Japan, and the other one in Hong Kong.
Inside the containers, they uncovered a total of 256 tonnes of electronic waste, which requires permission from the Industrial Works Department for import.
The illegal import of the electronic waste violates customs laws and the Basel Convention, which controls transboundary movement of hazardous waste and its disposal.
