Authorities seizes a vessel for illegally exploiting sand in the coastal area of Tiền Giang Province on February 18. — Photo courtesy of VCG

TIỀN GIANG — Authorities seized a vessel for illegally exploiting sand in the coastal area of the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tiền Giang.

On February 19, Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command based in Vũng Tàu City in the southern coastal province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu under the Việt Nam Coast Guard (VCG) said that its working team in coordination with the Border Guard of Tiền Giang Province discovered the vessel in the waters off Tân Phú Đông District’s Phú Tân Commune at around 6:30am on February 18 when conducting field reconnaissance.

The seizure is part of the Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command’s campaign to prevent and fight criminal activities including illegal smuggling, drugs and drug crime, human trafficking, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday.

Accordingly, vessel BTr-7570 registered in the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre was found with 350 cubic metres of sand.

The vessel’s captain, Nguyễn Văn Hiền, 51, of Bến Tre Province, and two crew members were on board.

Hiền did not have ship registration papers nor a licence for sand exploitation.

On the same day, the vessel was brought ashore and the case was handed over to the Phú Tân Border Guard Station in Tiền Giang for further investigation.

An illegal sand exploitation vessel was found off the coast of Tiền Giang Province on February 18. — Photo courtesy of VCG

Recently, the illegal exploitation of sand has been occurring regularly in the delta.

Illegal sand exploitation has increased along rivers and coastal areas across the country in recent years.

The uncontrolled exploitation of sand has seriously harmed the environment, hurt the structure and safety of waterway transport, caused land erosion, and altered the flow of water.

oast Guard Region No. 3 Command is tasked with managing the sea from Cù Lao Xanh Island in the coastal south-central province of Bình Định to the northern bank of Định An estuary in the Mekong Delta province of Trà Vinh, including the waters of Trường Sa (Spratly) Islands and DK1 rigs.

It has completed its task of protecting the nation's sovereignty and enforcing the law at sea over the past years. — VNS