Police uncovers Chinese toxic waste factory in Lagos

Police in Lagos State have arrested two Chinese, Lin Piehao, 22 and Li Ruoneng, 27, who allegedly operate a factory where e-waste is illegally assembled and exported to China and Vietnam.

E-waste contributes to environmental degradation with negative effects on human health such as inflammation and oxidative stress- precursors to cardiovascular disease, DNA damage and possibly cancer.

Spokesperson of the state police command, Bala Elkana, who comfirmed their arrest, said the Chinese nationals were arrested on Monday night August 5th at their illegal factory located at 19, Sule Abuka Street, Opebi in Ikeja by a team led by the Commander Area F, Akinsoji Adebayo, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

It was gathered that the visas of the two suspects had since expired but they continued to stay in the country unworried.

According to a police source, several cartons of e-waste already packaged and billed to be exported to China and Vietnam through air cargo were recovered.

We got a tip-off about their activities and we stormed there and arrested them. We also discovered that the two brains behind the company are staying in Nigeria illegally.

They came to Lagos in May and they were issued one month visa permit, but they exceeded their stay and started working in Nigeria illegally.

When interrogated, one of the arrested Chinese nationals, Piehao confessed that they usually bought panels from technicians and scrap sellers.

we buy phone panels (Android and Nokia panels). We buy them from phone repairers and scrap sellers.

We remove the panel I.C. with machine and then ship them to China and Vietnam.

We have some Nigerian casual workers in our factory but we give them the rules and urge them to be discrete before they join us.

We actually came into Nigeria with one month visa to explore the country and study the business we can do, but our boss in China urged us to open the factory and we have been enjoying Nigeria.

We did not want to go back despite the expiration of our visa. I don’t have work permit. I know it is a crime to work without work permit, but the e-waste business is very lucrative.

We do a lot to ensure that the smoke from the e-waste doesn’t affect the environment where we operate, he said.