Amirul (left) with some of the seized IBC which is believed to contain scheduled waste at Kampung Kembirian in Manggatal.
KOTA KINABALU: The State Department of Environment (DOE) made one of their biggest busts when they seized over 1,000 intermediate bulk containers (IBC) of scheduled waste.
State Department of Environment (DOE) director Amirul Aripin said the discovery was made during a joint raid by the department, police and City Hall officers at a warehouse at Kampung Kembirian in Manggatal on July 6.
No arrests were made during the operation, he said.
“We have taken samples for analysis but we believed it to be waste from oil extraction activities at sea, categorised as SW311 (waste oil or oil sludges).
“There were no personnel at the premises when we raided the place, but we believe we will apprehend the culprits soon,” he said on Wednesday.
The case came to light when on June 26, the department received the first complaint from a villager about diesel-like smell emanating around that area, followed by several more similar reports by the villagers there.
A team was dispatched the following day to investigate the source of the smell, which led them to the warehouse.
A week of surveillance by the department, police and City Hall officers, spotted lorries coming in and out of the warehouse vicinity.
Amirul added that the department believed the activity had been taking place since early of this year.
He said all hazardous waste must be managed and disposed of properly by licensed entities to avoid affecting public health and the environment.
The case will be investigated under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, which carries a punishment of five years’ jail and a fine not exceeding RM500,000.