THE recent Op Hazard operation, which uncovered the influx of illegal e-waste from overseas, raises questions about the effectiveness of checks conducted by authorities on containers entering Malaysia.
Given the tens of thousands of containers arriving in the country daily, the number is overwhelmingly high compared to the limited number of scanners available at ports, including those in Klang, Penang, and Johor, reports Malaysia's New Strait Times.
Challenges related to the availability of scanners have made it possible for containers to arrive at ports and bypass checks, creating risks for illegal goods such as e-waste that may be falsely declared.
Port Klang Authority handles over 40,600 daily. Overall, the board managed 14.64 million containers last year, averaging 1.22 million containers per month, contributing 47.7 per cent of the total 30.68 million TEU handled in Malaysia.
According to a source, each port in the country is equipped with a maximum of only five cargo scanner machines.
As a result, it is impossible to inspect all containers individually and checks are conducted randomly and in small numbers to prevent congestion. Irresponsible parties exploit this situation, attempting to smuggle illegal goods into the country.
'For example, some parties may declare 300 containers of steel, but due to random checks, it is possible that some of these containers actually contain illegal items such as e-waste, which would go undetected.
Customs Department director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin confirmed this when contacted, stating that a scanner at Port Klang takes about five minutes to scan a single container.
'Following a directive issued in 2023, the department was instructed to ensure all containers are checked by scanners.
'For instance, all 40,000 containers at Port Klang must undergo scanning. With each scan taking five minutes, only 24 containers can be scanned per hour, or 288 per day.'
With five scanners available, the maximum number of containers that can be inspected daily is just 1,440.
The Customs Department said it's in the process of acquiring more advanced scanning machines capable of detecting illegal goods, such as weapons, adding that 'the procurement process is progressing quite slowly at the Finance Ministry level'.
The department has previously announced that seven AI-equipped cargo scanners would be introduced to prevent revenue leakages.
These modern scanners are expected to provide more accurate and comprehensive inspections of container contents compared to conventional scanning machines and the current use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems.
SeaNews Turkey
Given the tens of thousands of containers arriving in the country daily, the number is overwhelmingly high compared to the limited number of scanners available at ports, including those in Klang, Penang, and Johor, reports Malaysia's New Strait Times.
Challenges related to the availability of scanners have made it possible for containers to arrive at ports and bypass checks, creating risks for illegal goods such as e-waste that may be falsely declared.
Port Klang Authority handles over 40,600 daily. Overall, the board managed 14.64 million containers last year, averaging 1.22 million containers per month, contributing 47.7 per cent of the total 30.68 million TEU handled in Malaysia.
According to a source, each port in the country is equipped with a maximum of only five cargo scanner machines.
As a result, it is impossible to inspect all containers individually and checks are conducted randomly and in small numbers to prevent congestion. Irresponsible parties exploit this situation, attempting to smuggle illegal goods into the country.
'For example, some parties may declare 300 containers of steel, but due to random checks, it is possible that some of these containers actually contain illegal items such as e-waste, which would go undetected.
Customs Department director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin confirmed this when contacted, stating that a scanner at Port Klang takes about five minutes to scan a single container.
'Following a directive issued in 2023, the department was instructed to ensure all containers are checked by scanners.
'For instance, all 40,000 containers at Port Klang must undergo scanning. With each scan taking five minutes, only 24 containers can be scanned per hour, or 288 per day.'
With five scanners available, the maximum number of containers that can be inspected daily is just 1,440.
The Customs Department said it's in the process of acquiring more advanced scanning machines capable of detecting illegal goods, such as weapons, adding that 'the procurement process is progressing quite slowly at the Finance Ministry level'.
The department has previously announced that seven AI-equipped cargo scanners would be introduced to prevent revenue leakages.
These modern scanners are expected to provide more accurate and comprehensive inspections of container contents compared to conventional scanning machines and the current use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems.
SeaNews Turkey
