Regarding the case of Violating regulations on research, exploration, and exploitation of resources; smuggling; violating regulations on management and use of state assets causing loss, waste, and environmental pollution... occurring at Thai Duong Group Joint Stock Company, the Investigation Police clarified the smuggling behavior of Liu Dehua (Chinese nationality).

According to the accusation, from October to November 2021, Andy Lau purchased more than 2 million kg of rare earth ore with a content of 14-17% from Doan Van Huan (Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Thai Duong Company) at Yen Phu Mine ( Yen Bai ), agreeing to deliver the goods to warehouses in Hai Phong.

To have a factory to process rare earth ore to transport to China, Andy Lau rented land in Hai Phong to build a factory, gather raw materials, process and mix rare earth.

The Chinese businessman also used the legal entity of Nguyen Thanh Doan (General Director of Truong Son Company) to carry out entry procedures and register work permits for Chinese workers and experts hired to come to Vietnam to process and mix rare earth.

Andy Lau hired Vu Thi Tuyet (living in Hai Phong) as an interpreter, to manage daily operations at the factory, monitor expenses and purchase chemicals to serve the processing of rare earth ores.

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An unfinished land mine at Thai Duong Company. Photo: Hai Phung

Because the origin of the rare earth ore purchased from Doan Van Huan did not have invoices or legal documents and did not have enough TREO content greater than or equal to 95% for export according to regulations, Andy Lau directed workers at the factory to use all of more than 2 million kg of rare earth to perform the steps of mixing chemicals, heat treatment, and hydrometallurgy to create an Oxalate mixture containing rare earth ore concentrate to hide from authorities when exporting.

At the same time, Andy Lau hired Qiu Weibing (living and doing business in China), Director of GuangZhou Company (headquartered in China) to carry out export procedures for goods, declaring them as "mixture of oxalate" (actually rare earth) from Vietnam to China.

Khau Vy Bung discussed with Leng Kai (Sales Director of WidelyStar Logistics Vietnam Company) to find and contact Tran Duc (Director of Viet Supply Company and Duong Lieu Company) to carry out procedures to authorize the export of the item "Oxalate mixture".

Tran Duc accepted the job of exporting goods at a cost of 7-10 million VND/container. Because the goods had no documents proving their origin, the owner could not be identified, and there was no foreign trade contract showing the purchase and sale, Tran Duc directed a series of wrongdoings.

Specifically, Duc directed employees to use the legal entities of Duong Lieu Company (established by Duc) and NTS Company (a company without employees, established by Duc) to carry out import-export declaration procedures, make commercial invoices, open customs declarations with the content of goods being exported by Duong Lieu Company and NTS Company to GuangZhou Company, the goods' ingredients include Calcium oxalate, Neodymium oxalate, Magnesium oxalate.

Tran Duc's fraudulent customs declaration and filing violated the Customs Law, thereby illegally exporting Andy Lau's rare earth ore to China.

The indictment pointed out that, with the above tricks, from May 5, 2023 to September 2, 2023, Tran Duc opened 8 declarations at Dinh Vu Port Customs Branch (Hai Phong), declaring the export of goods as "Oxalate mixture", with a total weight of 200,780 kg and a declared value of 501,950 USD.

However, in reality, the above goods were rare earths that had been mixed and disguised by Andy Lau for illegal export. Based on the actual unit price of rare earth ore with TREO content of 14-10% that Huan declared to sell to Andy Lau, the amount of rare earth ore that was illegally exported was worth more than 7.8 billion VND.

During the investigation, Andy Lau left the country for China.

Smuggling tricks of the Chairman of Vietnam Rare Earth Company

Smuggling tricks of the Chairman of Vietnam Rare Earth Company

Mr. Luu Anh Tuan and his subordinates admitted to the violations of not fully declaring the origin and falsely declaring the export code of rare earth oxide with a value of more than 379 billion VND.
Former Yen Bai official made mistakes, rare earth tycoon made huge illegal profits

Former Yen Bai official made mistakes, rare earth tycoon made huge illegal profits

The accusation is that the former director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Yen Bai province made mistakes that created conditions for the Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Thai Duong Company to illegally exploit minerals worth more than 864 billion VND.