On June 24, 2025, the economic police department of Ha Tinh provincial police initiated legal proceedings and prosecuted 3 individuals involved in a scheme of illegal invoice trading used to legitimize unlicensed sand extraction activities.
Nguyen Van Binh, born 1980, residing in Thanh Hoa city, director of a private enterprise in Thanh Hoa, was prosecuted and taken into custody.
Meanwhile, Trinh Thi Dung (born 1984, residing in Vinh Yen Commune, Thanh Hoa and Nguyen Nhu Anh, born 1981, from Bo Trach, Quang Binh, were prosecuted and placed under travel restrictions.
All three face charges of “Illegal trading of invoices” under Article 203 of the Penal Code, Vietnam detective service.
The investigation revealed that from August 2024 to March 2025, the suspects used legal business entities to issue fraudulent value-added tax (VAT) invoices for the purpose of concealing the origins of illegally mined sand.
The sand was sourced without permits from the Lam River (across Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces) by Nguyen Cong Tung Lam (born 1989, residing in Vinh City), and supplied to major contractors working on the Eco Central Park urban development project in Vinh City.
To legitimize the use of this sand, Binh and Dung—through An Dai Phat 68 Investment and Development Co., Ltd., where Dung served as Chairwoman—sold 22 false VAT invoices, including 14 to 68 Quang Binh Construction Consulting Co., Ltd. and 8 to Quang Ninh JSC.
This illegal invoice scheme helped the contractors bypass legal controls and allowed them to continue construction using undocumented materials.
The total value of fraudulent transactions exceeded VND 5 billion (approximately USD 200,000), resulting in significant tax losses to the state.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the extent of the operation, aiming to clarify the roles of each individual involved and assess both environmental and financial damages.
Detective service agency in Vietnam https://vietnampi.com