Over 200 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from U.S. found in Thailand, officials say

Thai officials on Wednesday said they seized 238 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States at the port of Bangkok, one of the biggest lots they've found this year.

The waste, which came in 10 large containers, was declared as mixed metal scrap containing aluminium, copper and iron, but turned out to be circuit boards mixed in a huge pile of metal scrap, said Theeraj Athanavanich, director-general of the Customs Department.

The electronic waste — which is classified as hazardous waste under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal — was found on Tuesday after the 40-foot containers became the subject of a routine random inspection, officials said.