Ha Tinh provincial police said on December 29 they had launched a criminal case and charged five suspects with trading in counterfeit goods. They are Bui Thi Bup, 37, Nguyen Duc Tho, 40, Lanh Van Long, 31, Nguyen Hai Chieu, 44, and Luong Tran Thuy Trang, 30.
The five suspects being charged with trading in counterfeit goods
Earlier, on December 18, police in Can Loc Commune inspected two cars unloading 75 cartons containing 37,500 packs of hard pack cigarettes counterfeiting a Vietnamese brand.
During questioning, Tho admitted buying the fake cigarettes from a woman in southern provinces before transporting them to Ha Tinh to sell through grocery shops for profit.
Police find 75 cartons containing 37,500 packs of hard pack cigarettes counterfeiting a Vietnamese brand
As the investigation expanded, economic police, working with local officers, arrested Bup and Trang on December 22, identifying them as key figures in the case. Two other suspects, Long and Chieu, were detained the same day.
Across the case, police seized a total of 95 cartons containing 47,500 packs of counterfeit cigarettes along with related evidence. The total value of the illegal goods is estimated at more than VND 500 million (about USD 19,600).
Initial findings indicate Trang was the mastermind who organised and directed the counterfeit cigarette operation. Bup acted as an intermediary, finding customers and using multiple social media accounts to advertise the products.
Tho, Chieu and Long bought the fake cigarettes from Bup and distributed them to grocery stores in several provinces.
Investigators said the cigarettes bore the branding of a Vietnamese company but were manufactured in Cambodia and smuggled into Vietnam for consumption. The products were made with sophisticated packaging that is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye and were sold online at low prices.
Police said the operation infringed intellectual property rights, disrupted economic management and posed potential risks to consumer health. The case remains under further investigation.