Last Thursday, a regular patrol in Ha Long Bay caught a rogue vendor attempting to sell goods to tourists on a cruise. Instead of allowing themselves to be caught, however, the vendor destroyed their own boat and let it sink.
According to Dan Tri, this was not an isolated incident. Le Trong Viet, who works for the Ha Long Management Board, claimed that vendors regularly respond in this way to avoid capture by police. Many cut a hole in the bottom of their boat, and simply pull out a plug and watch their boat sink.
This makes it impossible for authorities to pull over vendor’s boats, which were banned from approaching tourists after reports emerged of them selling overpriced fake goods. The news source also claimed that sellers arrange deals with tour boat owners and tour guides in order to overcharge tourists.
It may be possible for boat owners to return later on and salvage the goods that remain from their wrecked vessels. Either way, the issue will no doubt add to the area's pollution woes: in 2017, it was reported that two tons of garbage are dumped into Ha Long Bay every day.
[Top image via Journey Wonders]
