The men, Lam Van Dao, 34; Vu Duy Tu, 33; Nguyen Van Quynh, 51; and Nguyen Van Hao, 36, are all from Buon Ma Thuot City in Dak Lak.
The Dak Lak police conducted surprise inspections at six bean sprout production facilities operated by the suspects. They discovered that they had fermented the bean sprouts using a colourless liquid identified as 6-Benzylaminopurine, a cytokinins-based plant growth stimulant.
The four men at the police station
This chemical can pose severe health risks. Prolonged inhalation or skin exposure can lead to low birth weight, hydrocephalus, and birth defects, while consuming it in large quantities can even be lethal.
The substance aims to shorten the roots of bean sprouts, promote larger stems, increase weight, and enhance appearance.
During the inspection, the police seized 2.3 tonnes of bean sprouts contaminated with 6-Benzylaminopurine.
The 6-Benzylaminopurine-contaminated bean sprouts confiscated by the police
The six establishments sold 2,900 tonnes of bean sprouts this year.
One of the facilities has signed a contract to supply 350-400kg of bean sprouts daily to the Bach Hoa Xanh supermarket chain. The perpetrators deceived consumers by affixing misleading labels on the packaging.
The bean sprouts from the facilities were also sent to the Tan Hoa wholesale market in Buon Ma Thuot City, where they were distributed to districts, towns, and cities.