HCM City Police officer interrogates Lê Thị Thùy Trang, the mastermind of a massive illegal waste disposal and fraudulent invoice ring recently dismantled in the city. — VNA/VNS Photos Thành Đạt

HCM CITY — The HCM City Police have dismantled a major environmental crime ring responsible for illegally dumping over 20,000 tonnes of solid waste, authorities announced on Tuesday.

The city’s Economic Police Department has launched criminal proceedings and detained Lê Thị Thùy Trang, 47, in the city’s An Lạc Ward, along with six accomplices.

They face charges of causing environmental pollution and illegal trading of invoices.

The other suspects in custody include Nguyễn Văn Hiệp, Tăng Tư Thế, Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Nhung, Phùng Quốc Anh, Nguyễn Thanh Phỉ, and Vũ Thị Thuận.

The People’s Procuracy of HCM City approved the legal proceedings on Monday.

According to investigators, Trang was the mastermind behind the operation, controlling several environmental firms including Thịnh Phát Co., Thịnh Phát Trading Co., An Bình Co., and Đất Xanh Miền Nam Co.

These companies signed formal contracts to handle waste for various manufacturers in the textile, dyeing, leather, seafood processing, paper, and granite industries.

However, instead of processing the waste according to environmental regulations, the group directed the illegal transport and burial of the materials at 11 different locations across HCMC and neighbouring southern provinces.

In some instances, the waste was sold directly to parties looking for cheap materials for land leveling.

An illegal dumping site in HCM City where over 20,000 tonnes of industrial solid waste were buried by a ring led by Lê Thị Thùy Trang.

To evade detection, the ring employed several deceptive tactics, including "ghost" processing where waste was occasionally sent to functional treatment facilities as a front, but was either never processed or handled far below required standards before being moved for illegal dumping.

The other tactic involves invoice fraud, where Trang allegedly directed the purchase of fraudulent value-added tax (VAT) invoices – at a cost of 3.2 per cent to 6 per cent of the pre-tax value – to legitimise the movement of goods and money on paper.

The breakthrough in the case occurred on March 26, when nearly 100 officers conducted emergency raids across six locations in the city and Đồng Tháp Province.

Authorities seized more than US$50,000 and nearly VNĐ2 billion (US$78,600) in cash, along with extensive documentation and electronic equipment related to the crimes.

Initial forensic results confirmed that samples taken from the dumping sites were hazardous solid waste that required strict processing before environmental discharge.

The investigation has summoned 23 individuals for questioning as police continue to expand the probe into the roles of other involved organizations and individuals. — VNS