December 9, 2025 | 01:01 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Customs data confirms that a flood of suspected illegal electronic waste (e-waste) continues to arrive in Batam, Riau Islands. As of Monday, December 8, 2025, authorities have recorded 822 containers entering the region believed to contain hazardous and toxic waste (B3).
Head of Compliance Guidance and Information Services at Batam Customs, Evi Oktavia, stated that these hundreds of containers were imported by three specific companies: PT Esun International Utama Indonesia (318 containers), PT Logam Internasional Jaya (393 containers), and PT Batam Battery Recycle Industries (111 containers).
Evi reported that 74 containers have been inspected so far and were confirmed to contain hazardous e-waste. However, the importing companies have ignored the directives from Batam Customs. "There have been no re-exports," Evi confirmed in a WhatsApp message to Tempo on Monday.
This influx follows a report received by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) from the international organization Basel Action Network (BAN) regarding the entry of electronic waste from the United States into Indonesia.
In early September 2025, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, traveled to Batam to directly seal the companies involved. However, the sealing effort was reportedly disrupted by a group of individuals in front of PT Esun International Utama Indonesia.
At that time, Hanif emphasized that the investigation would continue and that criminal sanctions would be imposed if violations were proven. Despite these enforcement efforts, PT Esun International Utama has reportedly continued to operate as usual and has remained silent regarding the Ministry's actions. Furthermore, the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the KLHK has not provided any recent updates on the case's development.
Based on the findings of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), electronic waste processing activities are currently being carried out by a company located in Batam. Doc. the Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Yuyun Ismawati, Senior Advisor at Nexus3 Foundation, underscored the severe hazards posed by electronic waste. E-waste processing generates substances that heavily pollute water, soil, and air. Exposure to byproducts like dioxins and furans can trigger serious health issues, including cancer, nerve damage, hormone disruption, infertility, and a weakened immune system.
Yuyun noted that the workers involved in processing this electronic waste are the first and most affected. E-waste processing creates hazardous residues such as heavy metal ash, chemical sludge, and brominated plastics.
"It is highly likely that these residues are dumped into the environment or managed without permission. Even the most modern recycling facilities in Europe still produce B3 residues," Yuyun stated on November 4, 2025.
Read: Batam, Gateway of Illegal Electronic Waste Import
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