Trial of illegal sand mining subjects on Lam River

On February 13, Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened the first instance trial of defendant Tran Van Chung (born 1983), residing in Nam Dan town, Nam Dan district, for the crime of violating regulations on resource exploitation.

In 2021, Tran Van Chung was administratively punished for illegal mineral exploitation. In addition, Chung was sentenced to 24 months in prison for illegal possession of narcotics.

Despite being administratively punished for illegal mining, late at night on July 27, 2022, Chung and a group of people used iron-hulled boats to illegally pump and suck sand on the Lam River.

Defendant Tran Van Chung. Photo: Tran Vu

The police caught Chung red-handed and seized the vehicle and more than 70 cubic meters of sand, worth more than 1.7 million VND. The authorities determined that the location where Chung mined sand had not been granted a mining license by the competent authority.minerals.

At the trial, the defendant admitted to the crime and presented his lack of education and difficult life to ask the court to consider reducing his sentence.

The jury determined that the defendant's actions caused the risk of erosion and landslides on both banks of the Lam River, affecting the ecological environment, negatively impacting agricultural production, as well as the safety of human life.

However, it is also necessary to consider some mitigating circumstances for the defendant such as: Honest confession, repentance, the defendant's family has contributed to the revolution. Considering the case comprehensively, the court sentenced Tran Van Chung to 10 months in prison with a suspended sentence, probation period of 20 months.