Trucks line up to leave the project
The CFG Nam Cua Viet Port project is invested by CFG Quang Tri Co., Ltd., located in Phu Hoi village (Nam Cua Viet commune, Quang Tri province), with a total investment of about 530 billion VND. According to the plan, by the end of 2026, the project will be completed and put into operation. During construction, the investor conducts dredging and sand collection within the permitted scope and gathers in the coastal area. According to regulations of functional agencies, this dredged sand volume is only allowed to be used for internal project leveling, absolutely not allowed to be taken out for consumption.
However, actual records of reporters show that the situation of transporting sand out of the project occurred many times, both in the morning and afternoon.
On the morning of January 15, at 10:20 am, a truck with license plate 74C-261.28 entered the sand gathering area in the project. An excavator waiting quickly scooped sand to fill the truck bed. After being covered with tarpaulin, the truck left the project through the main gate. Only about 20 minutes later, this sand was dumped at Dong Tuy construction material agency (hamlet 5, Cua Viet commune, Quang Tri province). At 10:52 am, the truck returned to the project, continued to take sand and left at 11:03 am.
In the afternoon of the same day, sand transportation activities continued. Truck plate number 74C-103. 89 left the gathering yard at 2:48 PM, and at 3:07 PM dumped sand at a construction material yard in Ha Loi Trung village (Cua Viet commune). Almost at the same time, truck 74C-261. 28 continued to take sand and take it to dump in Cang Gian village (Ben Hai commune).
In just over an hour, these two trucks carried out many trips transporting sand out of the project area, with the destination being gathering yards and construction material agents in the area.
Inspecting and handling the illegal transportation of sand out of the project
Not stopping there, on January 26, reporters continued to record a tractor-trailer with license plate 74H-027.21 pulling a semi-trailer 74RM-011.47 into the project at 10:10 am to shovel sand. Less than 20 minutes later, the vehicle left and dumped sand at the gathering yard in Cang Gian village. In the afternoon of the same day, a truck with license plate 74C-261.28 continued to transport sand from CFG port to construction material yards along National Highway 1A and the area of Cua Tung commune.
Most recently, on the morning of February 6th, truck 74C-261. 28 entered the project at 9:35 am, and at 9:52 am, it left the gate with its truck bed full of sand. Less than 30 minutes later, this sand was dumped onto the gathering yard in Cang Gian village. Also in the morning, truck number 75C-141. 75 left the project with its truck bed full of sand, taking it outside for consumption.
Notably, all sand trucks entered and exited through the main gate of the project, moving on internal roads but no signs of being inspected or prevented were recorded.
Working with Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, Mr. Pham Van Hai - Director of CFG Quang Tri Co., Ltd. affirmed: "There is absolutely no such thing as bringing sand from the project outside for consumption". According to Mr. Hai, vehicles entering and leaving the project mainly carry construction materials or bring excess steel out; while sand only serves internal leveling because it is salinized and does not meet construction standards.
When asked about the excavator operating in the project premises, Mr. Hai confirmed that this is a company's machine. However, for the trucks carrying sand outside that reporters recorded, he said "not the company's vehicle".
Before the traces of sand falling and wheel tracks printed along the road at the gathering yard, reporters raised the question of whether workers could take advantage of it to take sand out, Mr. Hai replied: "Probably not, but I don't know either.
From the perspective of local management, Mr. Tran Viet Dung - Chairman of Nam Cua Viet Commune People's Committee said that the CFG Nam Cua Viet Port project is under the management authority of the Quang Tri Provincial Economic Zone Management Board. "The project is located in the area, if there is information reflecting sand being taken out, the locality will coordinate to verify and report to higher levels," Mr. Dung said.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Quang Tri Provincial Economic Zone Management Board said that the management of dredging, using and transporting sand is the responsibility of the Quang Tri Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment. The Department of Agriculture and Environment said that it will request the Nam Cua Viet Commune People's Committee to report specifically on the reflection of illegal sand transportation at the project to have a basis for consideration and handling.
