According to the ministry, its Environmental Police Department (C05), in coordination with investigative units and local police in Hanoi and Bac Ninh, has simultaneously launched three major cases targeting irregularities in the installation, operation and management of automated monitoring systems deployed by several enterprises.

The investigation has so far determined that 168 out of 306 inspected monitoring stations - accounting for more than 54.9 percent - had their environmental data interfered with or altered.

Authorities have initiated criminal proceedings and charged 74 suspects across 10 different offenses. These include illegal access to computer networks, falsification of documents, violations of bidding regulations, bribery and receiving bribes, abuse of power in official duties, tax evasion, accounting violations and the illegal issuance or trading of invoices and financial documents.

The case involves multiple companies operating in the environmental technology sector, including Deahan Industrial Equipment and Environmental Technology JSC, Seiki Group JSC, Viet An Environmental Engineering JSC and Minh Thanh Group Co., Ltd.

Among those charged are several individuals holding senior positions in both public agencies and businesses. Notably, Hoang Van Thuc, former Director General of the Environment Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, has been implicated, along with Tran Thi Minh Huong, Director of the Northern Environmental Monitoring Center, and Le Viet Cuong, Deputy General Director of Quang Ninh Thermal Power JSC.

Investigators have also clarified the methods used to manipulate monitoring data. In some cases, suspects remotely accessed systems via internet-connected software to alter transmitted data. In others, they directly interfered with sampling systems and analytical equipment at monitoring stations to adjust output indicators.

These actions enabled operators to reduce reported pollution levels, ensuring that transmitted data remained within permitted thresholds despite actual emissions exceeding regulatory limits.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on expanding the probe, fully clarifying the nature of the violations and identifying all individuals involved. At the same time, agencies are working to recover assets for the State.

The case is one of the most significant investigations into environmental monitoring integrity in recent years, raising concerns about oversight mechanisms and the reliability of pollution data used in regulatory enforcement.

Dinh Hieu