Police officers find tonnes of fake smoked buffalo meat at MQ Food Co., Ltd., in Phu Tho Province. Photo by Phu Tho Police Department
On August 11, Phu Tho’s police announced that they had raided MQ Food Co., Ltd., formerly known as Cuong Huong Co., Ltd., in Vinh Hung Commune, uncovering that its director, 32-year-old Vu Thi Huong, was running a large-scale operation producing fake smoked buffalo meat.
Police found three cold rooms storing 30 tonnes of fresh buffalo and pork and one tonne of fresh sausages, along with a warehouse holding three tonnes of dried buffalo meat and 3.4 tonnes of dried pork, all packaged for sale.
Tonnes of dried buffalo meat and dried pork ready for sale are found at the company. Photo by Phu Tho Police Department
At the time of inspection, the facility owner failed to provide documents verifying the origin of the food products.
Further inspection of a facility run by Vu Thi Hien, the sister of Vu Thi Huong, in Vinh Hung Commune, Phu Tho Province, found 300 kilogrammes of dried meat being packaged and numerous packages branded Cuong Huong Co., Ltd.
Since 2020, Huong has used over 1,000 tonnes of frozen meat to produce about 400 tonnes of dried meat, earning an estimated VND 100 billion (USD 3.93 million). To gain customer trust, she set up a fake branch in the former Ha Giang City under the name Cuong Huong Co., Ltd. and labelled products as Ha Giang highland specialities, though no production or business took place there.
Based on the evidence gathered, police have charged Vu Thi Huong, 32, the company’s director, with producing and trading fake food products.