Quang Ngai: Hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of soil sold illegally.

Recently, reporters from the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in Quang Ngai have received numerous reports that Investment Joint Stock Company 706 (Company 706) has been exploiting land for leveling purposes and selling it to construction projects outside the designated mineral consumption areas as stipulated by regulations. This illegal and clandestine sale of minerals has been carried out openly, extensively, and over a prolonged period.

Designated mines, indiscriminate sales.

Hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of soil at Le Thuy mountain were illegally extracted and sold by Investment Joint Stock Company 706 without authorization.

According to our investigation, in March 2023, the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province granted a mining license to Company 706 to exploit soil for leveling purposes using the open-pit method at the Le Thuy mountain soil mine in Tinh Chau commune (Quang Ngai city), now Tinh Khe commune. The mining area covers 4.9 hectares with a total mineral reserve of nearly 900,000 m3 and a mining period of 4 years. On December 5, 2023, the Le Thuy mountain soil mine was granted an additional license.

According to these permits, the Le Thuy soil mine is a designated mine, only allowed to sell its products to the Phan Dinh Phung extended road project; residential areas, parks, regulating lakes and squares in the former Tu Nghia district; the Hoang Sa - Doc Soi road project, etc. However, in reality, Company 706 has been selling it illegally to any company or business that needs it in the area.

Specifically, economic contracts No. 02/2025/HDKT dated January 8, 2025, and No. 34/2025/HDKT dated July 18, 2025, between Hoang Yen Co., Ltd. and Company 706 stipulate that Company 706 will supply soil to the construction site of the Provincial Conference and Exhibition Center on Cao Ba Quat Street and the project for the embankment to prevent erosion and beautify the landscape of the southern bank of the Tra Khuc River in Quang Ngai City for Hoang Yen Co., Ltd. The volume of soil under the two contracts is 40,000 cubic meters. These two projects do not fall under the category of mineral consumption from the Le Thuy mountain soil mine.

However, in an interview with reporters, a representative of Hoang Yen Co., Ltd. stated that the volume specified in the contract was correct, but additional work had arisen during implementation. Regarding the Hoang Sa - Doc Soi road project, Company 706 was behind schedule in delivering the work as per the contract and was charging higher prices.

According to Economic Contract No. 51/2025/HDKT dated November 20, 2025, Company 706 agrees to supply soil from the Le Thuy mountain mine to Viet Van Construction Co., Ltd. The soil will be transported to the construction site of the Phu My New Urban Area Infrastructure Investment Project in Cam Thanh Ward and An Phu Commune. The volume is 30,000 m3, of which approximately 28,000 m3 has already been supplied…

Speaking to a VNA reporter, Ms. Ha Thi Kim Lien, representative of Viet Van Co., Ltd., said: "We buy what Company 706 sells. The company has purchased land many times to level the ground at the Phu My urban area project."

Acknowledging the transportation and trading of soil, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung of Phuoc Khang Trading and Transportation Joint Stock Company, one of the units with the largest volume of buying, selling, and transporting soil with Company 706, stated: "Phuoc Khang Company has been working with Company 706 for about two years. For a long time, the company has mainly focused on transportation; when a company buys soil, Phuoc Khang only goes there and transports it. The soil is mainly from the Le Thuy mine for use in projects such as service roads, the Son Tinh cultural center, etc."

Economic contract No. 39/2025/HDKT between Company 706 and Phuoc Khang Trading and Transport Joint Stock Company is for the supply of land for package No. 21 of the Project for embankment construction to prevent landslides and beautify the landscape of the South bank of Tra Khuc River…, and does not fall under the category of licensed mineral consumption addresses.

Wrong… intentionally

The site of the Le Thuy mountain soil mine, where Investment Company 706 is conducting mining operations.

According to our investigation, over the past nearly three years, Company 706 has had economic contracts with nearly a dozen companies and businesses in Quang Ngai province to sell soil from the Le Thuy soil mine and construct projects that are not designated for soil consumption.

In light of the above situation, a reporter from the Vietnam News Agency (TTXVN) interviewed Mr. Phan Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Company 706, about the matter. Mr. Phan Anh Tuan stated that the company sold land outside the designated consumption areas as per regulations. "With projects designated for mineral consumption, the businesses that bought the land believed that the State had designated the supply, so when they delayed payment and accumulated long-term debt, we filed a lawsuit. The Hoang Sa-Doc Soi road project is on the list of designated mineral consumption areas, but for several years, compensation and land clearance could not be completed, and the mining license was almost expired, so I sold it outside," Mr. Phan Anh Tuan said.

In discussions with reporters, companies and businesses involved in land transactions with Company 706 shared that they were unaware that the Le Thuy mine could only be sold through designated channels. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung stated: "We saw all the necessary documents, everything seemed legitimate, but we didn't know that the Le Thuy mine could only be sold through designated channels. In fact, in Quang Ngai, Company 706 sells land to many projects because the mine is large."

According to data collected by reporters, after nearly 3 years, Company 706 has extracted approximately 700,000 cubic meters of soil at the Le Thuy soil mine; of which, more than 75,000 cubic meters will be extracted in 2026. However, only 150,000 cubic meters were sold as stipulated in the mining license to 9 companies and businesses. The remaining approximately 550,000 cubic meters of soil were sold illegally to 49 businesses for leveling other projects. Mr. Phan Anh Tuan admitted to reporters that this is the actual amount of soil sold illegally. With a contract price of approximately 30,000 VND/cubic meter, the amount of money Company 706 earned from selling the soil illegally is over 16 billion VND. However, this is only the price stated in the contract.

Currently, authorities in Quang Ngai province have begun investigating issues related to the exploitation and sale of land for leveling purposes by Company 706.

Reporters from VNA will continue to provide updates on this case.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/quang-ngai-ban-chui-hang-tram-nghin-met-khoi-dat-20260512113516766.htm