Illegal land smuggling into industrial parks
Quang Chu Industrial Cluster (CCN) in Quang Chu Commune, Cho Moi District has an area of about 74.4 hectares, invested by Onsen Fuji Joint Stock Company. Currently, the project has been handed over more than 13 hectares and started construction in October 2024.
This is considered one of the largest industrial parks in Bac Kan province. However, during the construction process, a large amount of illegally exploited land was transferred to this industrial park to create a flat surface.
According to the reporter's records in early November, every day there were hundreds of trucks from 5 to over 10 tons operating busily, carrying fill soil to Quang Chu Industrial Park.
Following the trucks carrying soil, the mining site is located at a hill in Dong Luong village (Quang Chu commune) more than 1 km away. Here, 2 large capacity excavators are always on duty, scraping the hill of soil and scooping it onto trucks that continuously come in and out.
After many days of investigation, the reporter has grasped the law of illegal soil transportation to Quang Chu Industrial Park. Here, there are a series of trucks and dump trucks with license plates 97C-03049; 97C-03351; 97C-04164; 97C-04354... Many vehicles have their license plates intentionally obscured.
After being loaded with soil, the trucks follow the residential road of Dong Luong village and then dump it at the Quang Chu Industrial Park. Next, the trucks carrying soil will go up the Thai Nguyen - Cho Moi highway to the mining site.
While moving, heavy trucks traversed the village road, causing dirt to fall and dust to fly everywhere. Many trucks were not covered with tarpaulins and brazenly transported dirt to level the industrial park.
Commune cadastral officer confirms illegal land exploitation
A local resident said: "Mining activities here have been going on for more than 10 days. Heavy trucks are coming in to transport soil, blocking all the roads for people. Sometimes they even carry it until late at night.
This area used to be a large hill, but after many days of digging, only a small amount remains. Most of the land has been transferred to the Quang Chu Industrial Park under construction.
On November 12, working with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Hoang Van Tung - a cadastral officer of Quang Chu commune - confirmed that there are no licensed mines in the commune.
"The mining site in Dong Luong village is illegal, the land belongs to Ms. H.T.X.'s household. On November 6 and 7, the local authorities discovered illegal mining activities, so they requested a temporary stop and made a record for handling.
At that time, no vehicles or machinery were found at the mining site, so only the act of land destruction was determined. As for where the soil was taken, the commune did not know," Mr. Tung informed.
When the reporter requested access to the minutes, the land officer of Quang Chu commune said that he was completing them to submit to superiors for consideration and handling according to regulations and could not provide them yet.
Although the official of the Quang Chu commune land office confirmed that the land exploitation was illegal and had been suspended, in reality, the activities of digging and transporting soil from the Dong Luong hamlet hill to the Quang Chu industrial park for leveling were still going on. Even after the authorities inspected and requested a temporary halt on November 6-7, the illegal exploitation continued.
Some images recorded by PV:
