On April 17, the Investigation Agency, Thanh Hoa City Police, issued a decision to initiate criminal proceedings, prosecute, and detain 8 individuals for the crime of “Production and trade of counterfeit food products”.
Of the 8 individuals, Nguyen Thi Thinh (born in 1978), residing in My Dinh 2 Ward, Nam Tu Liem District (Hanoi), was the mastermind, controlling the counterfeit production and trade ring. She directly sought sources to purchase raw materials, ordered the printing of packaging, and hired individuals to package the products. The products were then sold to the market through various distribution channels.
Nguyen Thi Thinh (far left) and other individuals involved in the counterfeit food supplement production and trade ring, along with the seized items. Photo: Thanh Hoa Police
The remaining individuals were involved in purchasing counterfeit goods for resale, managing inventory, and being hired to package, print labels, counterfeit packaging, and so on.
Previously, the Economic Police Force, Thanh Hoa City Police, discovered that a group of individuals in Thanh Hoa was suspected of producing and trading counterfeit health food products under the brand name of a Korean company that manufactures and exports to Vietnam.
These products were advertised as having preventive effects against stroke, improving brain function, and are currently in high demand and usage among consumers (commonly known as An Cung Ngưu Hoang Hoan -PV). The individuals used social media to advertise and offer the products online, promising to always have large quantities of stock available at competitive prices.
After a period of investigation, Thanh Hoa City Police conducted simultaneous searches at 10 locations, including the residences, workplaces, and storage facilities of the individuals in Hanoi City. During the searches, the police discovered and seized many counterfeit branded products and raw materials used in the production of the counterfeit goods.
Through interrogation and the documents collected, the individuals confessed that from the beginning of 2023 until their arrest, they had produced and sold over 20,000 boxes of counterfeit branded products, with a total value of approximately 50 billion VND.
