Two consecutive sweeps in less than a week
This drastic move took place after Lao Dong reported the situation of "Illegal gold mining destroying nature in the mountainous areas of Da Nang", posted on July 17, recording the situation of illegal gold mining in Que Phuoc and Phuoc Chanh communes (Da Nang city). After a report from Lao Dong Newspaper, the Que Phuoc commune government organized two large-scale sweeps in the Xai Chuc area, Mau Long village.
On the night of July 29, the Commune Police working group suddenly inspected and discovered 6 subjects resting in 3 camps in the middle of the forest, along with many exhibits such as generators, excavators, explosive devices, electric wires, water pipes... serving gold mining. The evidence was destroyed on the spot, the subjects were invited to the headquarters for questioning. On the afternoon of August 4, the Commune Police force coordinated with a forest protection team to patrol and continue to discover 9 subjects (including 7 people from the Northern provinces and 2 locals) carrying concrete drilling machines, saws, air pumps, turtle cars, 300m of electric wires... preparing to mine gold in the same area. The working group drew up a record, dismantled the entire camp and seized the violating equipment.
The leader of Que Phuoc Commune People's Committee affirmed that the consecutive sweeps are a timely and drastic response of the locality after the press's reflection. The government will continue to deploy more inspections in key areas such as Xai Chuc, Xai Hung, etc., coordinating with police, forest rangers, and forest protection forces to promptly handle violations.
Strictly prohibit illegal gold trading, support livelihoods for the poor
In Phuoc Chanh commune, where dozens of Gia Trieng households used to spend time digging for camelelelel under the Dak Mi river, the local government said: The commune has directed the authorities to inspect and strictly prohibit households from illegally digging for camel under the river, and at the same time mobilized people to give up their potentially dangerous work. At the same time, the locality actively coordinates with associations and unions to support stable means of production and livelihoods for poor households, helping people no longer have to "sell online" to make a living by sand processing to find gold in the rushing water.
Previously, reporters from Lao Dong Newspaper approached the scene of "illegal gold fields" located deep in the forest of Que Phuoc commune, where dozens of illegal camps were built, and excavators operated as a miniature construction site. The sound of an explosive, an excavator, and an ore grinder echoed in the middle of the world. Dozens of people divided into groups, digging tunnels tens of meters deep to exploit gold. Toxic chemicals such as cyanide, lime, soda, etc. are used haphazardly, discharging waste directly into the environment. The newspaper also clearly stated the situation of subjects organizing systematically, sending people to warn, using local people to coordinate, being willing to flee or hide machinery when there is a request from the authorities.
In Phuoc Chanh commune, in mid-June 2025, Lao Dong Newspaper recorded dozens of Gia Trieng households despite the danger of earning a living by digging and drinking in yellow bamboo under the Dak Mi river, right at the foot of the hydropower dam. Some people brought their children, just hoping to save a few hundred thousand dong to buy medicine for their sick children. This shaky livelihood scene not only violates the law but also poses a potential risk to life when hydropower plants release floodwaters suddenly.
