The train engine roams at night
From the people's reflection on the illegal sand mining situation on the Tien River, we are determined to "conquer" and penetrate the "hot spot" near Cu Lao An Binh (Vinh Long province).
At around 8pm, a small boat from the canal took us to the edge of the Tien River, gradually heading straight to the notorious "sand market".
Keeping a safe distance of more than 300 meters, we began to hear the roaring sound of the boat's engines at night. The closer it gets, the more surprised the immediate scene is because the scale is no less than that of a professional group.
Not only one, two, three... but also nearly a dozen ships are waiting in wait. The peaceful river section became fierce, bustling with unlicensed watercraft. When they are operating, they turn off all the lights to hide in the darkness. Occasionally, a flashlight lightning up the suction tap and quickly turn off, scanning the surrounding area as if checking static, to prevent detection.
After each "fill of sand", these "ghost boats" move back in the flow about 0.5 - 1km, quickly transferring sand to large barges.
Local people said: "That is a common feature! They move very quickly to avoid detection, as well as shorten the time to absorb the most sand. We know these acts very well but cannot do anything because they are too harsh".
Chasing in the middle of the night
To get closer and capture the image, the group of reporters had to overcome the sophisticated barriers of the outside world. These are small boats with the task of protecting sand mining activities with a vision covering the entire river section.
As soon as we decided to head straight to the center, the police immediately surrounded and beat the steering wheel. It seems that they are ready to act if someone " Takes a step forward"... We were forced to "tak a back" to ensure safety.
After a period of calculation, the group of reporters decided to use a drone with a flycam, hoping that it would be the final solution to record the entire incident from above.
Less than 2 minutes, the police discovered it. The flashlight immediately shone into the sky, chasing the device. It would be fair to say that this is a chase between the air and the water surface. In the end, we only have the way to distract, accepting to drop the flying equipment to protect the collected evidence that can be exposed.
After many visits, we found the rules of the sand bandit group's operation: from 10pm the previous day to nearly 2am the next morning was the time when the train was operating at almost full capacity and then withdrew the tap. Ships that cannot suck in time will speed up pumping until 4am to get off the "sand".
After that, ships will land in small canals nearby, like eel entering the cave after a spectacular prey hunt. At around 5am, the river section was returned to its original calm state.
livelihoods are threatened
Up to now, illegal sand mining activities still take place every night, which is one of the main causes of riverbank erosion in Vinh Long province.
Local people reported that on nights when the authorities inspected, the activities would temporarily calm down, but immediately after that, they exploded strongly as a way to "huge up" the "sand-packed" nights.
We also received additional complaints from the people about illegal sand mining threatening our livelihoods, even there were cases of sand boats running near fish rafts on the river, breaking the anchor ropes (ciable anchor ropes).
A resident frankly said: "They are active every night so no one can sleep, just afraid that they will move and tear up the fish net, breaking the wire is a big loss".
Speaking with Lao Dong, the Head of An Binh Commune Police confirmed that in recent times, the fight against river sand mining in the area has been patrolled, controlled and handled resolutely by forces coordinating with local authorities. However, the river area is more than 12km long, bordering Dong Thap province (formerly Tien Giang), so it also faces many difficulties.
Currently, the local government of An Binh commune has been continuing to synchronously implement solutions to solve the problem of river sand mining in the area.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Kim Ngoc - Head of the Department of Investigation Police on Economic Crimes, Corruption, Smuggling and Environment (PC03) of Vinh Long Provincial Police stated that the river area near An Binh Islet is one of the "hot spots" of illegal sand mining in the province and is always closely patrolled and controlled by the forces of An Binh province and commune. However, the subjects are showing signs of operating in violation of the law with increasingly sophisticated tricks.
"When receiving feedback from the people, the force always conducts patrols, controls, and resolves the matter at the site and site. In addition, the Provincial Police also directed the An Binh Commune Police to patrol throughout, not leaving any vacant areas, and strictly handle cases if they violate the provisions of the law" - Lieutenant Colonel Kim Ngoc said.
