Gold bandits cling to the mine to exploit
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung - Director of the Ben Hai River Basin Protection Forest Management Board (Quang Tri Province) said that about 20 years ago, the protective forest area in Vinh O and Vinh Ha communes (Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province) experienced illegal gold mining. The authorities kept chasing him, and shortly after, the gold thieves reappeared.
Having worked for many years at the Ben Hai River Basin Protection Forest Management Board and participated in many push-ups to chase gold bandits in Vinh O and Vinh Ha forests, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung said that the forest protection brothers clearly know the location of the gold bandit mines but do not have the means to go deep inside.
To illegally mine gold, the subjects set up tents next to the gold mines, transported explosives, dug rocks and soil in the mines, and grided them. The separation of gold treatment is also done on the spot, by digging holes and spreading tarpaulins down to create a water tank for gold treatment.
According to statistics from the Ben Hai River Basin Protection Forest Management Board, gold mining is concentrated in sub-areas 582, 583 (Vinh O commune) and 575H (Vinh Ha commune) and in these 3 sub-areas there are currently 9 large gold mines. Right behind the Vinh O - Vinh Ha Forest Protection Station is a large tunnel exploited by gold bandits that has existed for about 20 years. When the forest protection station had not been built, the tunnel was a hot spot for gold mining.
"To prevent gold bandits in the above area, there is only one way to destroy the mines" - Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung said.
Lao Dong Newspaper takes action, Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee requests to destroy gold mines
More than a month ago (April 15, 2025), Lao Dong Newspaper started publishing a series of articles investigating the situation of gold bandits operating vigorously in the protective forest in Vinh O commune. Since then, the Ben Hai River Basin Protection Forest Management Board has coordinated with Vinh O Commune Police and local authorities to organize dozens of patrols, chase, destroy many gold bandit camps and set up 3 forest protection posts right at hot spots.
Patrols have been taking place on holidays, weekends, nights, early mornings, and midday, but many subjects are still hiding in the forest, and when the authorities are loose, they rebuild their willingness to exploit gold.
For example, on May 10, the forest protection force discovered in the Lo Than Intersection area (sub-area 575H), a hut had just been built with an explosive engine and a tray to serve the digging of gold. Suddenly breaking in, the force caught a man, but he did not admit to illegally mining gold but only looked after the camp for others.
Previously, on April 19, another man in the Khe De area (sub-zone 583) was also spotted with some necessities in the Lo Than Intersection area. This person said he was keeping a tent for a local man, so the security force only pushed him out of the forest.
Mr. Tran Quang Long - Head of the Protection Department, Ben Hai River Basin Protection Forest Management Board said that handling gold thieves is very difficult.
"There are many cases where we discovered gold mining camps and handed them over to the police, but were only administratively sanctioned because people from other provinces were not staying in accordance with regulations. As for handling violations of mineral exploitation, it is necessary to assess, measure... very complicated, so even though it was discovered, the police have not heavily punished any cases. That is a major limitation, making forest protection and mineral protection more difficult" - Mr. Tran Quang Long said.
The authorities of Quang Tri province also arrested the owners of illegal gold mines who are local people, concentrated in Ben Quan, Vinh Ha, Vinh Long towns (Vinh Linh district), so they will request the police to investigate and clarify for handling.
"The direction of the People's Committee of Quang Tri province to units to demolish gold mines and investigate and handle the subjects behind the gold bandits can end the persistent illegal gold mining in the protective forest" - Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung said.
