Ho Chi Minh City police charge landholder over illegal dumping of more than 250 tonnes of waste
Police in Ho Chi Minh City have charged a woman with causing environmental pollution after more than 250 metric tonnes of solid waste was found dumped on land she managed, authorities said on Wednesday.
Police officers deliver a decision to charge Phan Thi Xuan Mai during an investigation into alleged environmental pollution in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Supplied
Investigators said Phan Thi Xuan Mai, 59, was arrested and placed in pretrial detention for alleged violations of Vietnam's Penal Code following an inspection of a plot of land in Tang Nhon Phu Ward earlier this month.
Officers inspected the 728-square-meter site on January 15, 2025 and found large amounts of solid waste, including construction debris, household refuse, scrap metal, discarded wood, paper packaging, and glass, stored without required environmental safeguards.
Police said Mai had accepted money from others to allow waste to be dumped on the land.
A view of a plot of land managed by Phan Thi Xuan Mai is filled with construction debris and other solid waste in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Supplied
During the inspection, officers also caught a motorized three-wheeled vehicle unloading waste at the site.
Laboratory tests later determined that the dumped material was non-hazardous solid waste originating from construction activities, with a total weight of more than 257 metric tons.
Authorities said the waste did not contain substances banned under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
The investigation is continuing, with police examining the role of other individuals connected to the dumping.
Bao Anh - Dan Thuan / Tuoi Tre News