On March 28, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department announced that it had concluded the investigation into the illegal sand mining case in Can Gio sea, transferring the case file to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy to propose prosecuting 24 defendants for the following crimes: violating regulations on resource exploitation; bribery; bribery brokerage; money laundering; abusing positions and powers while performing official duties; consuming property obtained through criminal acts of others; and fraudulent appropriation of property. The 3 people involved in this case are being investigated by the Ho Chi Minh City Police in an independent case, which will be concluded and proposed for prosecution later.
Illegal sand dredging ship detained by Ho Chi Minh City Police
According to Ho Chi Minh City Police, at around 11:45 p.m. on May 5, 2022, Water Division II (Traffic Police Department - Ministry of Public Security) arrested 12 sand dredgers in the Con Ngua area (located on Can Gio sea). At the same time, Water Division II arrested 3 barges anchored at the confluence of the Vam Tuan River (Can Giuoc District, Long An Province) filled with sand. Afterwards, Water Division II handed over the documents and evidence to Ho Chi Minh City Police for investigation and handling according to their authority.
"Octopus" ships anchored preparing to illegally dredge sand on Can Gio sea
Immediately after receiving the file, Ho Chi Minh City Police initiated a case of "violating regulations on resource exploitation", prosecuting the accused Truong Van Chinh (39 years old, from Lam Dong), Truong Van Thang (39 years old, from Hai Duong) and Vu Ngoc Dai (48 years old, from Binh Phuoc).
Accordingly, from February to May 2022, the three defendants above operated 9 "octopus" ships to illegally dredge sand in the Can Gio sea area. The illegal sand dredging operation time was from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next morning. The sand was dredged from the sea by the ships, then transported close to shore to be transferred to barges for consumption.
"Octopus" ship is illegally dredging sand on Can Gio sea
Expanding the investigation of the case, Ho Chi Minh City Police continued to prosecute and detain 15 defendants for violating regulations on resource exploitation; 1 defendant for consuming assets obtained through crime; 2 defendants for abusing positions and powers while performing official duties; 2 defendants for bribery; 1 defendant for bribery brokerage; 1 defendant for fraud and appropriation of property; 2 defendants for money laundering.
In this case, defendant Bui Van Song (Permanent Deputy Secretary of Minh Hoa Commune, Kinh Mon Town, Hai Duong Province), the husband of Ms. Truong Thi Minh (owner of a sand mining vessel that is evidence in the case), directed Pham Thi Hoa (Vice Chairman of Minh Hoa Commune People's Committee) to sign the authorization papers (signed after the mining vessels were arrested) to help the defendants in the case legalize the documents requesting the return of the sand mining vessel.
As a result of the investigation, Ho Chi Minh City Police prosecuted Bui Van Song and Pham Thi Hoa for abusing their positions and powers while performing official duties.
At the end of October 2017, Thanh Nien Newspaper published a long-term investigative series entitled “Cunging up Can Gio Sea”. The series of articles reflected that about 50 “octopus” ships bearing the registration numbers of northern provinces were illegally mining sand day and night in Can Gio Sea, transporting it ashore for sale. Immediately after that, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee requested relevant units to investigate and handle the matter.
In the following years, Thanh Nien Newspaper continued to report many times on the illegal sand mining situation on Can Gio beach.
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