Additives used to produce counterfeit ground coffee found at the company of Nguyen Thanh Hai.
On February 21, the Dak Lak Provincial Police Department announced that it had recently detected and handled two cases of counterfeit ground coffee production and distribution.
After a period of investigation, officers discovered a grocery store in Buon Ma Thuot City selling over 100 kg of ground coffee under the brand names Phat Hai Weasel Coffee and Coffee Phat Hai, produced by Phat Hai Production,Trading and Service Company.
A rapid test on the coffee samples revealed a caffeine content of only 0.41%–0.46%, significantly lower than the ≥1% stated on the packaging.
Following this discovery, police executed urgent searches at the company’s production branch in Binh Duong Province and its headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City. Authorities seized over 2,800 packages of ground coffee, 7,500 kg of soybeans, 5,500 kg of ground coffee husks, 2,000 kg of pre-mixed roasted soybeans and coffee husks, and other related materials.
Coffee husks are used to produce counterfeit ground coffee
Investigations confirmed that Nguyen Thanh Hai, Chairman of Phat Hai Production, Trading and Service Company, had been using a fraudulent formula consisting of 10% coffee beans combined with additives, 70% soybeans, and 20% coffee husks to manufacture fake coffee. The caffeine content in these products ranged from only from 0.39% to 0.41%, despite the 1% claim on the packaging.
To evade detection, Hai exclusively employed family members and close associates for roasting and grinding operations. The company frequently altered packaging designs to bypass regulatory scrutiny.
Financial records obtained by authorities revealed that, in the first 11 months of 2024 alone, the company’s branch had produced and distributed seven types of substandard ground coffee, totaling 344 tonnes, with an estimated market value of VND 20 billion.
The Dak Lak Provincial Police Department has charged Nguyen Thanh Hai and Le Thi Thanh Tam, the company’s branch director, with the crime of producing and trading counterfeit goods.
Nguyen Thanh Hai and Le Thi Thanh Tam are charged with the crime of producing and trading counterfeit goods.
During the same period, police in Dak Lak also intercepted Luong Dinh De, a resident of Buon Ho Town, while he was transporting 890 kg of Coffee HLP Huynh Long Phat ground coffee to be sold to cafés in Ea H’Leo District.
At the time of inspection, De was unable to provide invoices or legal documents verifying the origin of the coffee. He later admitted that he had personally manufactured the products at his own facility.
Luong Dinh De at the police station.
A search of De’s production site led to the confiscation of an additional 610 kg of Coffee HLP Huynh Long Phat ground coffee, 500 kg of soybeans, two bags of pre-roasted soybeans mixed with additives, three containers of margarine, and various other materials.
The total quantity of seized coffee powder amounted to 1,500 kg. A rapid test revealed a caffeine content of only 0.5%.
The Dak Lak Provincial Police Department has also charged Luong Dinh De with producing and trading counterfeit goods.
According to the department, since late 2022, authorities have detected 12 cases and arrested 19 individuals involved in fake ground coffee production.
The authorities continue to intensify inspections and crackdowns on counterfeit food production, urging consumers to remain cautious and verify product authenticity before purchasing.
