Hanoi People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Chung has asked authorised agencies to crack down on illegal sand mining activities in Phuc Tho District after watching a video clip showing illegal sand dredging boats and a waterway police vessel.

Photo for illustration. Illegal sand dredging is an ongoing problem in Hà Nội and other provinces through which the Hồng (Red) River runs.

The district People’s Committee Chairman Doãn Trung Tuấn showed Chung the 25-second clip on Thursday on the sidelines of the city People’s Council meeting. The clip captures two sand dredging boats working while a waterway police boat floats just ten metres away.

Tuấn said that the illegal sand dredging activities were found in the area last year and stopped after authorities cracked down.

However, recently, the activities have re-started, causing much public concern, he said, adding that the video clip was made about one week ago.

He said that the area lay at the border between Hà Nội and Vĩnh Phúc Province, which creates difficulties for authorised agencies to detect illegal sand miners.

Vessels from other provinces went to Hà Nội and illegally dredged sand, but they fled once detected.

Chung showed the clip to reporters, calling on media to join in detecting and fighting against illegal sand mining.

Colonel Đỗ Thanh Bình, vice head of Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, confirmed with media that the waterway police boat was under the management of the department.

The boat was assigned to patrol waterway traffic from May 16 to June 30, but the boat in the video was not on duty because waterway police used canoes when patrolling.

Bình said that the department was looking into the situation and any violations, if detected, would be punished strictly. — VNS