Police Seize 300 Tonnes of Industrial Waste in Chonburi Warehouse
Authorities raided an abandoned warehouse in Ban Bueng district, Chonburi, seizing over 300 tonnes of suspected industrial waste hidden in big bags. Four suspects, including a truck driver and Myanmar workers, were detained for questioning. Officials are still investigating the source of the waste and whether it contains hazardous substances.
Ban Bueng district chief said the administrative department received information from social media about the transport of industrial waste from Nikhom Phatthana district, Rayong Province, and monitored the situation before coordinating with relevant agencies to inspect the site around 10:00 a.m. the same day. Initially, officials discovered a large volume of material packed in big bags and coordinated with the Chonburi Provincial Industrial Office to collect samples for analysis to determine if the waste contained hazardous substances or required legal control. Police Colonel Paphanphat Baiya, commander of Klong Khu Police Station, said officials jointly inspected the location with related agencies before detaining four people—the truck driver and workers present at the site—for questioning and further legal action. They added that details regarding the transport and the employer still need to be verified. The truck driver, identified as Prasan (surname withheld), 30, said he was hired to transport the big bags from Nikhom Phatthana district, Rayong Province, to the warehouse in Klong Khu subdistrict. It was his first trip to the location, he was paid 800 baht, and claimed he did not know what the material was. The Chonburi Provincial Industrial Office has seized and impounded the material for sampling and factual verification. If wrongdoing is found, the case will be forwarded to the appropriate agencies for legal action. However, no official confirmation has yet been made as to whether the material is hazardous industrial waste or contains toxic substances, and further investigation into the employer and transport details is ongoing.
