26-12-2023 (HANOI) Vietnamese authorities have apprehended a high-ranking provincial official on Monday (Dec 25) as part of an investigation into illegal sand mining, according to a statement from the government.
Sand mining, primarily for construction purposes, has experienced a significant upsurge in Vietnam in recent years, raising concerns about the detrimental environmental consequences of excessive exploitation.
Nguyen Thanh Binh, the chairman of the people’s committee in An Giang province situated in the Mekong Delta, a notorious hub for sand mining, was arrested on suspicion of abusing his power, as announced by the Ministry of Public Security.
The Ministry stated that Binh, aged 59, had “abused his power, intervened, and issued orders that allowed Trung Hau 68 Company to excessively exploit sand in An Giang, thereby profiting a substantial amount of money.” However, the statement did not provide further details regarding the allegations.
Authorities conducted searches at Binh’s office and residence on Sunday and Monday, accompanied by the arrest.
Previously, police revealed that Trung Hau 68 Company had extracted over 4.7 million cubic meters of sand, surpassing the permitted amount stated in their license, which only authorized the extraction of one-third of that volume.
In August, Binh’s deputy was taken into custody on charges of accepting bribes amounting to US$50,000 in connection with the same scandal. More than a dozen officials and businesspeople have already been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation.
In an August report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), experts cautioned that sand mining, driven by Vietnam’s construction boom, is depleting resources at an alarming rate. The Mekong Delta, often referred to as the country’s “rice bowl,” could face resource depletion within a little over a decade if the current trend continues.
The decreased availability of sand alters river flows, making them lighter and swifter, leading to increased erosion along the riverbanks.
In mid-November, authorities arrested yet another official for allegedly colluding with criminal groups to extort money from sand mining businesses near Hanoi.
