Locals reportedly looting shipwrecks in Quang Ngai Province

Fresh out of the underwater archaeology conference in Quang Ngai Province comes more reports of looting of shipwrecks by locals – as much as two tonnes of coins have already been removed illegally.

Vietnam salvager says ancient coins looted from shipwreck
Thanh Nien News, 28 October 2014

Around two tons of ancient coins have disappeared from a sunken boat yet to be salvaged off Quang Ngai Province on Vietnam’s central coast and locals held the blame of stealing them.

Nguyen Dang Vu, director of the province’s culture department, said many people have taken advantage of the rough weather that delayed salvaging efforts to steal from the shipwrecks at night, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

Archeologist Nguyen Tuan Lam from Ho Chi Minh City company Doan Anh Duong, which is hired to recover ancient boats from the province’s waters, said locals have stolen around two tons of coins from the 9th to 11th centuries from a recently-discovered boat around 100 meters off Binh Chau Commune, Binh Son District, the paper said.

Culture officials have asked the police and border guards and heighten security in the area.

Full story here.