On August 2, Ho Chi Minh City’s police concluded their investigation and transferred the case file to the municipal People’s Procuracy, recommending the prosecution of Do Viet Dai (born 1971), Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (born 1977, owner of Duc Long jewelry store), Nguyen Thi Kim Trang (born 1970), and Le Van Hoa (born 1977).
Illegal Money Transfers Between Cambodia and Vietnam
Additionally, the Ho Chi Minh City police recommended the prosecution of Mai Vu Minh (born 1995), Le Thi Tham (born 1976), Okoye Christian Ikechukwu (born 1985, Nigerian nationality), and several others for “Money Laundering” and “Illegal Transportation of Currency Across Borders.”
 Case evidence at Duc Long jewelry store |
Owner of Duc Long jewelry store
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The Ho Chi Minh City police expanded their investigation and issued arrest warrants for Mai Tra Mi (born 1992) and Eneh Davidson Caleb (born 1996, Nigerian nationality) for “Money Laundering.”
This case involves organizing and conducting illegal money transfers between Cambodia and Vietnam and vice versa. The suspects collaborated and acted as intermediaries, coordinating locations for sending, receiving, and transferring money between the two countries, primarily to and from Cambodia, for illicit profits.
Disguised as a jewelry store, Ngan and Dai rented a house on Cach Mang Thang 8 Street (Ho Chi Minh City) as a “secret” location for money exchanges and illegal activities.
 Le Van Hoa |
The couple hired Trang and Hoa to handle foreign currency transactions and record-keeping. They agreed with Cambodian individuals to receive 1.5 million VND for every 2.5 billion VND exchanged.
Transnational Crime Syndicate Involved in Money Laundering and Fraud
From August 2023 to April 5, 2024, the syndicate transferred nearly $11 million and 2,048 billion VND from Cambodia to Vietnam and approximately $8.2 million and over 35 billion VND from Vietnam to Cambodia.
The case originated from a report by the Ukrainian Embassy in Vietnam to the Ho Chi Minh City police regarding a Ukrainian company being defrauded of $314,000 after transferring money to a company based in Vietnam.
Upon receiving this information, the Ho Chi Minh City police directorate instructed the Office of Criminal Investigation (PC01) to collaborate with other units to establish a specialized task force to address the issue.
The investigation uncovered a transnational crime syndicate involved in fraud, money laundering, and illegal cross-border currency transportation. The syndicate infiltrated company emails of foreign businesses engaged in transactions.
Nguyen Thi Kim Trang
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Formation of Shell Companies
The criminal group created fake emails similar to those of the victim company’s business partners, differing by only one character. They used these emails to communicate and provide false reasons for changing transaction accounts.
Additionally, they directed individuals in Vietnam to establish shell companies with names resembling those of partner companies to open foreign currency accounts in USD and VND.
They then provided the account information of these shell companies to the victims, who mistakenly transferred the money. Once the funds were received in the USD accounts, the individuals quickly converted them into VND and transferred them into VND accounts before funneling them into the personal accounts of other individuals in Vietnam.
The investigation identified over 300 shell companies established by the group to open bank accounts for their criminal activities. Among them, Nguyen Thi Huong registered 116 companies, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy registered 112, and Le Thi Tham registered 53.
The investigation also identified accounts with transaction histories linked to criminal activities, totaling over $3 million.
Group members withdrew cash and brought it to Yến Sà o Kingfood in District 11 and Duc Long jewelry store to illegally transfer USD to Cambodia for their accomplices.
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Ho Chi Minh City police identified over 300 shell companies set up by the Vietnamese group to launder money. The group successfully transferred 4,150 billion VND and $160 million through these shell companies. Ho Chi Minh City police continue to investigate the establishment of hundreds of shell companies by the group for criminal purposes. They aim to identify the involvement of individuals and organizations to ensure accountability and address any loopholes exploited by criminals. |
PHAM DUNG
– 21:24 08/02/2025
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