On February 24, Quang Nam Provincial Police announced that since the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin in 2024, Tam Lanh commune police, Phu Ninh district have continuously discovered and dealt with many cases of illegal gold exploitation in the gold capital of Bong Mieu village, Tam Lanh commune.
Illegal gold exploitation scene in Bong Mieu. (Photo: C.A)
Specifically, on the morning of February 19, Tam Lanh commune police conducted an inspection, crackdown, and handling in the Ho Gan area (belonging to Bong Mieu village). Here, the functional forces discovered Huynh Duy (residing in Bong Mieu village) engaging in the illegal gold exploitation by digging the ground. Surrounding the gold mining area, there were also turtles, picks, and shovels.
Next, on the morning of February 20, Tam Lanh commune police inspected and cracked down on the Thac Trang area (belonging to Bong Mieu village). When they arrived at the rubber plantation area of Ms. N.T.K.Y., the functional forces found Nguyen Van Hieu (residing in Bong Mieu village) present at the scene.
During the work with the police, Hieu admitted that he was the owner of the site, hiring some local laborers and using rudimentary tools to illegally exploit gold.
It is known that in the past time, to hand over the local area to the construction unit to close the Bong Mieu gold mine, Quang Nam Provincial Police and Phu Ninh district police have organized many inspection and crackdown campaigns on illegal gold exploitation activities in Tam Lanh commune, especially in the Kẽm Mountain area.
Functional forces destroying 20 camps in the gold capital of Bong Mieu at the end of 2023. (Photo: C.A)
For example, at the end of 2023, Quang Nam Provincial Police and Phu Ninh district police organized 2 task forces to conduct inspections and crackdowns on illegal gold exploitation activities in 2 directions from Ho Gan and Thac Trang to the Kẽm Mountain area.
At the scene of these above-mentioned areas, the functional forces did not find any illegally gold mining operators. However, in the gold capital of Bong Mieu, there are still many camps, machinery serving illegal gold exploitation activities.
The task force conducted a comprehensive inspection and crackdown on all mine tunnels in the Kẽm Mountain area, disabled 4 explosives, 1 power generator, 20 camps, 7 ore fermentation pits, about 1,500m of water conduits, about 900m of power lines, and many other rudimentary tools.
The Bong Mieu Gold Exploitation Company is granted a license to exploit the original gold minerals in the Bong Mieu mine area, Tam Lanh commune by the Ministry of Industry and Heavy Industry (now the Ministry of Industry and Trade) on March 5, 2016.
In July 2017, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment approved a plan to close the mine, assigning the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to take charge.
In March 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment approved the plan to close the Bong Mieu mine – one of the largest gold mines in the country. However, recently, illegal gold exploitation activities in Bong Mieu have continued.
