This is the staging area where those involved in illegal sand mining transport their materials.

The "ghost ferries"

The high demand for construction materials has led to constant fluctuations in sand prices. The large profits from river sand have led many individuals to disregard the law and engage in illegal mining, especially in border areas and sparsely populated regions.

In the dead of night on the Bo River, sand-dredging boats appear and quickly disappear, leading locals to liken them to "ghost boats" silently draining the river's lifeblood. Based on reports from residents, for several consecutive nights, reporters from Hue Newspaper and Radio and Television Station secretly monitored the illegal sand mining activities on the Bo River.

At approximately 6:30 PM on May 19th, in the area opposite the ferry terminal in Hamlet 3, Thanh Luong 3 residential group, as dusk was falling, a group of 7-8 individuals appeared on the riverbank where two boats equipped with sand-mining equipment were moored. Some prepared the cables, others checked the engines, and some boarded the boats. The entire operation was swift and almost completely silent.

About 10 minutes later, two motorboats carrying 7-8 people left the shore, moving towards the middle of the river, about 500 meters from the ferry terminal. In the darkness, the lights from the boats flickered on and off before quickly disappearing into the shadows of the river. The methods of operation have changed significantly. Instead of using the noisy, high-powered suction machines of the past, the operators have switched to using modified motorboats to reduce noise. The main extraction activities take place from dusk until nearly dawn.

A resident living along the river said that this situation has been going on for many years. Initially, the perpetrators used modern suction machines, but later switched to a manual winch system to avoid detection. "They work at night. They work in the sun or rain," the resident said.

Sneaking across the sand dunes at night

The staging area operates throughout the night.

About 15 minutes after leaving the dock, the two boats returned to the riverside gathering area in Phuoc Yen village, Quang Dien commune. As soon as they reached the shore, the sand was hoisted up using a winch system. Trucks and excavators were always waiting on the shore to transport it. The unloading process was very quick. Just over 10 minutes after unloading, the two boats returned to the mining area in the middle of the river.

From around 7 PM until nearly dawn, two boats continuously traveled back and forth between the mining area and the stockpiling site. According to the reporter's observations, in just the night of May 19th and the early morning of May 20th, this group of individuals carried out more than 10 trips transporting sand.

Through several nights of observation from May 19th to 24th, we recorded approximately 9 people regularly involved in the illegal extraction and transportation of sand in this area. Each trip is estimated to involve transporting about 5 cubic meters of sand. With more than 10 trips per night, the amount of sand extracted from the riverbed could reach over 50 cubic meters. Based on current market prices, the estimated illicit profit could amount to tens of millions of Vietnamese dong per night.

Residents living along the Bo River say that illegal sand mining has not only been going on for many years but has also caused serious erosion along many sections of the riverbank. In some places, agricultural land has been deeply eroded year after year. This situation has been repeatedly raised in neighborhood meetings and voter consultations, but it has yet to stop.

"Everywhere is collapsing, some sections are dozens of meters long. Only the sections with embankments are unaffected. People are frustrated and protest, but nothing can be done. Many times at neighborhood meetings and voter consultations, people have requested action, but after receiving the requests, nothing is done. Now we hope something can be done to resolve this so that people can have land for production, otherwise, in a few years, everything will be completely eroded," another resident shared.

Ambush and arrest of individuals involved in illegal sand mining.

Eight individuals were arrested for illegal sand mining.

After observing illegal sand mining activities on the Bo River over several nights, reporters from Hue Newspaper and Radio and Television provided relevant information and documents to the Hue City Police force to coordinate verification and handling in accordance with the law.

On the night of May 23rd and the early morning of May 24th, under the direction of Colonel Ho Xuan Phuong, Deputy Director of the Hue City Police, nearly 20 officers and soldiers were mobilized to carry out a covert operation to arrest individuals illegally exploiting sand on the Bo River.

The reconnaissance teams split into several groups, monitoring the ferry terminal area, the transportation route, and the sand stockpiling site. The entire operation was carried out secretly to avoid detection and escape by the suspects.

At approximately 2:00 AM on May 24th, after completing their final night's delivery and returning to the anchorage area, eight individuals—five men and three women—had just stepped ashore when they were simultaneously apprehended and subdued on the spot by police officers.

Colonel Ho Xuan Phuong, Deputy Director of Hue City Police, said: After arresting the individuals involved in illegal sand mining on the Bo River, the police force is continuing to consolidate the case file and investigate each related individual to handle them according to the law. The mining site, vehicles, and the quantity of illegally stockpiled sand are also being inspected and inventoried by professional units to aid in the investigation...

News reporting team

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/phap-luat-cuoc-song/do-ma-hut-thit-song-bo-166230.html