LAEM CHABANG, THAILAND – Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin oversaw a large-scale inspection of 18 containers suspected of carrying illegal e-waste into the country.
Inspection sends political message
The on-site operation at Laem Chabang Port was led by Suchart Chomklin, known in Thailand as “Rong Heng,” together with several agencies. The joint team moved through the port to supervise the opening and examination of the containers.
At the heart of the operation was the suspicion that hazardous waste had been declared as harmless metal scrap in order to evade controls. Officials framed the inspection as a show of determination to tighten enforcement against such practices.
Investigative alliance targeting smuggling
According to authorities, the sweep followed cooperation between the Customs Department, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Pollution Control Department. This alliance focused on dismantling cross-border smuggling structures involving waste shipments.
The agencies stressed that such imports violated both Thai law and the Basel Convention on the transboundary movement of hazardous waste. They pointed out that e-waste mixed into scrap consignments posed risks for the environment and public health.
How the containers drew attention
Customs chief Phanthong Loysakunanon said the intervention was based on DSI investigations in case file 27/2569. These inquiries had uncovered patterns in the smuggling of e-waste and plastic scrap.
A typical method involved declaring cargo as “scrap metal” or “scrap iron” even though the mixture actually contained electronic components. This mislabelling was used to steer shipments through routine customs channels with reduced scrutiny.
Technology, data and risk profiles
Customs officials stated they had used risk management systems, cargo tracking and modern inspection technology to flag the most high-risk consignments. Data analysis played a central role in identifying unusual routing and documentation.
Information gathered from these tools then fed into DSI investigations and potential criminal proceedings. Authorities described this as an example of how data-driven risk profiling could support targeted enforcement.
Three groups, one overarching suspicion
During the inspection, the 18 containers were opened in three groups. The first group consisted of 12 containers declared as “scrap iron” from Haiti for a private company.
In these 12 containers, officers found mixed iron scrap contaminated with printed circuit boards and other e‑waste components. The total weight was about 284,919 kilograms, with an estimated value of more than 2.53 million baht.
US links and international alerts
A second group comprised four containers that had been flagged based on information from the DSI and the international watchdog Basel Action Network (BAN). These shipments had drawn attention because of their routing and documentation.
They were declared as “Metal Scraps” and “Mixed Metal” from the United States and, according to investigators, were scheduled to be forwarded to Japan and Hong Kong. Officials treated the case as part of a wider pattern of suspicious transboundary waste movements.
Previously flagged importers and two more containers
The third group consisted of two containers that customs had already detained earlier. The importer had reportedly been involved in shipments previously marked by BAN.
These loads were declared as “aluminum scraps” from the United States and the Netherlands. They were re-examined in light of the renewed suspicion of concealed e-waste.
Return shipments and legal action announced
Preliminary findings confirmed that several containers contained illegal e-waste mixed into the metal scrap. This meant they breached Thailand’s import bans on hazardous waste.
Authorities said the consignments would be sent back to their countries of origin under procedures set out by the Basel Convention. At the same time, they announced punitive measures against the networks involved, signalling further investigations and legal action to come.