Major Environmental Crimes Uncovered: Waste Plastic Disguised as Raw Material for Export, Acid Waste Illegally Dumped Near Campsite

[Taipei, Taiwan] — Authorities have uncovered a series of severe environmental crimes involving unscrupulous businesses illegally dumping hazardous waste acid and disguising plastic waste as raw material for illegal export. The Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of the Interior, through a cross-ministerial task force established in 2011, held press conferences on June 14 and 16 to disclose details of these recent crackdowns.

Hazardous Acid Waste Turned Creek Red, Fake Records and Multiple Cover-Ups
Li Chun-Ming, Senior Technical Specialist at the Central Environmental Management Center, described the shocking sight when he first arrived at a polluted section of Zhonggang Creek near a scenic campsite in Sanwan Township, Miaoli County: “The creek turned red from acid waste. There were no sounds of frogs or fish — just an eerie silence with only the water flowing. It was heartbreaking.”

After two and a half years of investigation, environmental authorities and prosecutors dismantled a complex criminal network responsible for illegally dumping acid waste across five sites spanning Taoyuan, Miaoli, and Taichung, affecting a total area of 3.4 hectares. The investigation began when inspectors caught a tanker illegally transporting pickling acid waste in Taichung’s Qingshui District.

The waste was traced back to Yuanji Company in northern Taiwan, which falsely claimed it would recycle the spent pickling acid into ferric chloride and calcium chloride. In reality, the company secretly dumped the hazardous waste. To evade inspections, the company staged elaborate fake setups at its plant, including unused iron ore, empty barrels, and falsified weighbridge tickets, shipping records, invoices, and online reports.

The pickling acid, once oxidized, produces red-black iron oxide. The company dumped the waste into concealed pits near Sanwan’s campsite, where it seeped into Zhonggang Creek, turning the water red. Follow-up inspections found the pits had been backfilled with plastic debris, causing secondary contamination. Additionally, at another illegal disposal site in Yuanli, Miaoli, investigators found cement blocks containing mixed hazardous waste such as acid waste, waste plastics, fly ash, and scrap glass.

Authorities have indicted all involved parties over the past two years. From 2022 to date, investigators have seized over 13,405 metric tons of pickling acid waste and 2,918 metric tons of other waste, designating four sites as polluted soil remediation or controlled sites. In total, 37 people have been prosecuted, with NT$190 million seized and NT$33.75 million in illegal profits reclaimed through administrative fines.

Waste Plastic Smuggled Abroad Under False Pretenses
In a related case, authorities discovered mountains of waste plastic piled openly by a roadside factory in Yong’an Industrial Park, Xinwu District, Taoyuan. The Ministry of Environment, prosecutors, and police uncovered that the operators were disguising the waste plastic as raw plastic materials for illegal export.

According to Kuo Cheng-Hsiang, a section chief at the Environmental Management Administration, customs offices in Keelung and Taichung reported suspicious exports by “Marcus Co., Ltd.” between April and May 2024. Marcus and another plastic firm had illicitly exported about 5,800 metric tons of mixed plastic waste to China, Malaysia, and Vietnam over two years.

A special task force tracked the waste using GPS data, targeting three storage and processing sites in Xinwu and Zhongli. Inspections found waste plastic bricks, discarded cables, and various industrial waste overflowing from warehouses into open areas. Prosecutor Wang Nien-Heng from the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office stated that approximately 5,500 metric tons of illegal waste were stored at these sites.

Further investigation revealed that while Marcus directly handled the illegal processing, the largest profit margin was pocketed by recycling and removal contractors. For example, electronics companies paid contractors NT$28 per kilogram to remove plastic waste; the contractors then resold it to Marcus for NT$3 per kilogram, pocketing a large profit difference of NT$25 per kilogram. These contractors have also been indicted.

In February 2025, prosecutors indicted Marcus and five other companies, along with 11 defendants, for illegal storage, processing, and export of waste. They have petitioned the court to confiscate approximately NT$390 million in illicit gains. Under Taiwan’s Waste Disposal Act, those convicted face up to five years in prison.

Zero Tolerance for Environmental Crimes
Minister of Environment Peng Chi-Ming reiterated the government’s firm stance: “Since the launch of the cross-ministerial investigation platform in 2011, over 3,488 cases involving 12,000 suspects have been prosecuted. We have zero tolerance for crimes that destroy the environment.”

Minister of Justice Cheng Ming-Chien added: “The Earth is borrowed from future generations. It must not be destroyed by short-sighted profit. Beyond prosecution, we will confiscate illegal profits and ensure sites are restored to their original condition to deliver environmental justice.” To date, 700 illegal dumping sites have been remediated thanks to these joint efforts.