More than 1,600 tonnes of hazardous industrial waste have been found illegally buried in Hanoi’s outlying Soc Son District.
The case was uncovered during an inspection of local lead and battery recycling facilities in Phu Lo Commune. Authorities discovered 1,623 tonnes of lead slag buried at one site, posing a serious threat to the environment.
Investigators found that the metal recycling facility, operating without a license since July 2024 on a 6,000-square-metre site, was managed by 38-year-old Vu Xuan Dong.
Since January 2025, Dong had leased the factory to Mao Xin Song, a 49-year-old Chinese national, who installed illegal metal (lead and steel) production lines. The processed metal ingots were then exported to China. Dong also served as translator and site manager.
To support operations, Dong hired around 40 Vietnamese workers who collaborated with a team of Chinese technicians to run the machinery. He also sourced raw materials from suppliers in Hung Yen and Thai Nguyen provinces.
At the facility, the team operated furnaces to smelt lead, producing solid waste in the process. By March 2025, as waste built up with no proper storage, Dong arranged to have it disposed of.
Inside the illegally operated factory
He and Mao agreed to a disposal fee of VND 320,000 (approximately USD 13) per tonne. All the lead waste was dumped into a 1,000-square-metre low-lying area and pond in front of the factory. Once the dumping was completed, Dong hired workers to cover the site with soil to evade detection.
On June 26, the Hanoi Police Investigation Agency filed charges against Vu Xuan Dong, Mao Xin Song, Nguyen Phuong Hoan and Nguyen Phuong Hung for causing environmental pollution.
Vu Xuan Dong (left) and Nguyen Phuong Hung
Authorities said further investigation is underway to prosecute all individuals involved in accordance with Vietnamese law.
