"Sand bandits" are rampant, rivers and streams cry for help

Many people in the two provinces of Gia Lai and Quang Tri reported that illegal sand mining has been prolonged and complicated, causing serious erosion of rivers and streams.

Sand smuggling territory

Based on the feedback from the people, SGGP reporters were present at the Bua stream area (also known as Ben Bua stream, bordering the two provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak ) to record the actual activities of "sand bandits" here. At the stream section flowing through Hamlet 2, Long Thanh village, Quy Nhon Tay ward (Gia Lai), local people pointed out to us 2 places where "sand bandits" still regularly operate.

Illegal sand wharf has been operating for many years along Bua stream, through Long Thanh village (Quy Nhon Tay ward, Gia Lai province). Photo: NGOC OAI

Along the Bua stream, many sections of the stream bank have been seriously eroded, sweeping away forest land and people's gardens. At one section of the stream, there are 2 "sand bandit territories" with traces of truck wheels, the stream bed has been deeply dug up. Next to the stream, there is a large sand collection site located right in the middle of a people's garden, fenced with barbed wire covered with black tarps to hide from outsiders.

Mr. Ng.K. (Hamlet 1, Long Thanh village) said that the main sand dock owners in this area are Mr. PQD (Hamlet 2) and Mr. CT (Thanh Long area). In particular, Mr. PQD's sand dock is organized on a large scale, when he bought back the forest land next to the stream, built a solid house and camouflaged illegal sand mining. He opened a large road from the garden straight to the stream to serve the transportation, illegally exploited sand and brought it to the garden. When there is enough goods, Mr. D. mobilizes trucks to transport sand for consumption. "The above sand docks operate most bustlingly during the rainy season, but every time people call the commune newspaper, the sand dock owners know to stop mining, as if someone reported to the government. In the rainy season of 2024, heavy trucks carrying sand rumbled and destroyed the village roads, people were upset and blocked the vehicles, but Mr. D. came out to challenge them, brazenly saying that he had "paid a road fee" of 15 million VND/month to be able to run", according to Mr. K.

In Quang Tri province, “sand bandits” are also transforming on the Gianh, Long Dai, and Kien Giang rivers. Being present on the Gianh River, we recorded many riverbanks being seriously eroded, and people’s productive land being washed away. Some locations along the riverbank showed signs of illegal sand gathering and transportation. Local people said that taking advantage of the period when commune governments were merging and reorganizing their apparatus, “sand bandits” were operating vigorously day and night.

Mr. Nguyen Van B., a resident of Tuyen Hoa commune, shared: “Illegal sand ships from Ba Don area usually start dredging sand at 3am and withdraw near dawn. Officials cannot keep up. People in Van Hoa and Chau Hoa areas are very worried because landslides are happening close to their fields and houses!”

Launching campaign to eliminate illegal sand ports

Quang Tri Provincial Police have deployed many measures to strengthen patrols, control, detection and handling of illegal sand mining subjects. Recently, the authorities discovered 5 cases of illegal mining on Gianh and Kien Giang rivers, confiscating hundreds of cubic meters of sand of unknown origin, many boats and sand suction machines. Some subjects were caught red-handed illegally mining sand in the middle of the night. Notably, at the foot of My Trung dam (Kien Giang river), the provincial police have just dismantled an illegal sand wharf, confiscating 2 boats and 2 sand suction machines.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Trung, Deputy Head of the Economic Police Department (PC03) of Quang Tri Provincial Police, said: “PC03 has launched a strong campaign to identify and eliminate related subjects, gathering points, illegal sand wharves and sandbanks… on major rivers in the province. To fundamentally handle the situation, PC03 has mobilized all the forces of the unit to join in the fight.”

In response to the actual records of "sand bandits" in Bua stream, the People's Committee of Quy Nhon Tay Ward (Gia Lai Province) said that the locality has grasped the situation and is directing the ward police force to get involved, approach the scene to come up with a definitive solution. "Because the ward government has just started operating many important tasks that need to be done, it is difficult to manage mineral resources. In Bua stream, through initial investigation, the illegal sand miners are very sophisticated, when hearing the reflection, they immediately disappear. At this point, we are assigning the ward police force and other units to get involved, grasp the situation, come up with measures to prevent and strictly handle the situation," Mr. Nguyen Quang Minh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quy Nhon Tay Ward, emphasized.

In Quang Ngai province, illegal sand mining is complicated, especially on the Tra Khuc River through Nghia Lo ward. The subjects often operate at dawn, making it difficult to inspect. Recently, the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province has directed to strengthen inspection, examination and strictly handle violations; requiring local leaders to be responsible before the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee if they loosen management, allowing "sand bandits" to operate in disguise, prolonging...

NGOC OAI - MINH PHONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/cat-tac-hoanh-hanh-song-suoi-keu-cuu-post804244.html