Sand in the seaport project "flows" outside
The CFG Nam Cua Viet Port project is invested by CFG Quang Tri Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as CFG Quang Tri), 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 the construction process, the investor conducts dredging and sand collection within the permitted scope and gathers in the coastal area. Functional agencies allow to take advantage of this volume of sand to serve internal project leveling, and must not bring it out.
The reality recorded by reporters shows the opposite. On the morning of January 15, at 10:20 am, a truck with license plate 74A-261.28 entered the sand gathering yard of the project. An excavator waiting quickly scooped sand and filled the truck bed. The truck was covered with tarpaulin and left the project.
Just 20 minutes later, this sand was dumped at Dong Tuy construction material agency (hamlet 5, Cua Viet commune). 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, illegal sand transportation activities continued. Vehicle 74A-103. 89 left the yard at 2:48 PM, and at 3:07 PM dumped sand at the construction material yard in Ha Loi Trung village, Cua Viet commune.
Almost at the same time, vehicle 74A-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 vehicles carried out many rounds of transporting sand out of the project.
On January 26, reporters continued to record a tractor-trailer with license plate 74H-027.21 pulling trailer 74RM-011.47 into the sand dredging project at 10:10 am, leaving less than 20 minutes later and dumping sand at the gathering yard in Cang Gian village. In the afternoon of the same day, vehicle 74A-261.28 continued to carry 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 74A-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 plate number 75C-141. 75 left the project with its truck bed full of sand, taking it outside for consumption.
All sand trucks enter and exit through the main gate of the project, moving on internal roads but there are no signs of being inspected or prevented.
Affirmations contrary to reality
Working with Lao Dong Newspaper reporters on February 6, Mr. Pham Van Hai - Director of CFG Quang Tri - affirmed: "Absolutely no sand from the project is taken outside for consumption". According to Mr. Hai, vehicles entering and leaving the project mainly carry construction materials or take excess steel out, and sand is only used for 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 it was a company's machine. However, with the trucks carrying sand outside that reporters recorded, he said "not the company's car".
At the sand gathering yard, before the traces of sand spilling and wheel tracks printed along the road, reporters raised the question of whether there was a situation where workers took advantage to bring sand out, Mr. Hai replied: "Probably not, but I don't know either.
Mr. Tran Viet Dung - Chairman of Nam Cua Viet Commune People's Committee - said that the CFG Quang Tri 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 superiors," 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.
