According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, durian exports have already surpassed last year's record of $3.2 billion as of the end of October.
Mailisa, also known as Phan Thị Mai, and her husband, Hoàng Kim Khánh, have built a lucrative business by sourcing inexpensive cosmetics from China and smuggling them into Vietnam, generating profits in the billions of dong.