The Kedah Department of Environment (DOE) today raided two factories suspected of operating illegally and causing odour pollution in the Pinang Tunggal mukim in Sungai Petani.

Kedah DOE director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the raids were conducted at an unlicensed timber factory and another factory used for storing plastic and other waste at 11am.

“The raids were carried out after JAS received numerous public complaints about environmental pollution, especially odour nuisance when plastic waste is processed without control equipment.

“Upon further inspection, materials suspected to be clinical waste were also found, such as used COVID-19 screening test containers, syringes, gloves and needles that had been shredded and washed for recycling purposes,” she said in a statement here today.

She said the effluents from the waste disposal were then channelled into retention ponds and discharged untreated into the public sewerage system and then into the Sungai Muda, which is a source of water for Kedah and Penang.

According to Shariah Zakiah, the illegal plastic waste processing and clinical waste factory is believed to be run by Chinese nationals.

Further investigations are underway to determine whether the waste originates from the region or has been imported from abroad.

Meanwhile, she said a group of foreign workers tried to flee into nearby bushes during the raid.

“The DOE has contacted the Immigration Department to check on some detained workers,’ she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency