Thai authorities have intercepted and seized 238 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States at Bangkok Port, marking one of the largest e-waste confiscations of the year.
Officials have announced plans to return the shipment to its country of origin.
According to Theeraj Athanavanich, Director-General of the Customs Department, the waste was falsely declared as mixed metal scrap but was found to contain massive quantities of electronic circuit boards mixed with metal debris.
The discovery was made during a random inspection on Tuesday across ten large shipping containers.
The incident comes amid growing global concern over the rising volume of e-waste.
A United Nations report released last year revealed that nearly 62 million tones of electronic waste were generated worldwide in 2022, a figure expected to soar to 82 million tones by 2030.
Worryingly, only 22% of this waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022, and that rate is projected to decline further to 20% by the end of the decade. The drop is attributed to rising consumer demand, limited repair options, shorter product lifespans, and poor waste management infrastructure.
Theeraj stated that the Thai government intends to press charges related to false customs declarations and the illegal import of hazardous materials. Authorities are working to ensure the swift repatriation of the containers.
He emphasized the urgency of addressing such violations, noting the serious environmental and health risks posed to communities, especially those living near facilities that might process or recycle this type of waste.
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