Three police officers have been suspended after being criticised for not stopping the illegal dumping of waste by a vessel in the Red River.
A vessel with the P.T0677 nameplate carrying hundreds of tonnes of waste from Hanoi was found dumping waste into the Red River on November 14. A three-member task force wearing Waterway Police uniforms, the Inspection Unit 3, later approached the vessel but failed to stop it dumping waste into the river.
Many people expressed anger about the inability of the three police to halt the situation. Colonel Dao Thanh Hai, deputy head of Hanoi police force, said on November 18 that the police had detected the ship while patrolling.
Colonel Dao Thanh Hai, deputy head of Hanoi police force (right) talked with the media on November 18
"They made a record of the incident but didn't deal with the violators aggressively enough. We have reviewed the responsibility and reprimanded them. We also took waste samples for tests," he said.
Hai admitted that by not stopping the waste dumping right away, the officers had failed to follow protocol. However, he explained that the officers had called for more support to seize the ship.
"They should have stopped the activity immediately. We've reprimanded and suspended them," Hai said. "Otherwise, the officers had followed proper protocol."
Legal action will follow depending on the severity of the case.
When asked what he was going to do about several recent illegal waste dumping cases, Hai said Hanoi police officers had always been dealing with the problem. Dumping waste illegally could also be seen as destroying public assets as it damaged the environment.
"Toxic substances that damage the area will be dealt with in accordance with environmental laws," he said.
