Many cases related to production of fake food prosecuted

	Revealing tricks of producing fake essential oils and supplementary foods
	Launching an inspection on counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property
	Finding solutions to prevent fake goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights

Some fake and poor quality milk products seized by authorities. Photo: Ministry of Public Security

At the end of August 2024, the Ministry of Public Security informed that during the Jan-June period, the C05 prosecuted 17 cases, transferred 2 cases, with a total of 27 defendants related to violations of fake food products.

In addition, units and localities handled 5,968 administrative violations, up 36.7% year-on-year.

Most recently, on June 13, 2024, the Investigation Police Agency of Chi Linh City Police, Hai Duong Province, prosecuted and issued an arrest warrant for Nguyen Trung Vuong, General Director of Ha Lan Dairy Joint Stock Company, for the crime of "Producing and trading fake food products".

Previously, at the end of 2022, C05 issued a Decision to prosecute a criminal case on "producing and trading fake food products" occurring at Ha Lan Milk Joint Stock Company (address: 335 Tran Cung, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi) and its branches and warehouses.

The investigation agency accused that, as a person with a bachelor degree in pharmacy and trained in food safety knowledge, Nguyen Trung Vuong was fully aware that the production and trading of poor quality food products, with quality indicators below 70% compared to the declared and labeled levels; and the products did not have the features, effects, and uses as declared in the dossier confirmed by the competent state agency, posing a risk to the health of consumers is an act of law violation, but for profit, Vuong still directed the implementation.

The verification process determined that Vuong directly directed employees in all stages of product production and circulation. Production management is mainly carried out remotely via social networks, Zalo in groups between the General Director and employees.

The authorities have inspected and collected 67 samples of finished products, equivalent to 33 types of products from eight companies with products manufactured at Holland Milk Factory (including Holland Milk Joint Stock Company) for assessment. As a result, 66/67 batches of products had quality indicators mainly below 70%, the total value of these goods was more than VND4.1 billion.

In addition, through inspection and verification, the authorities discovered that Do Minh Thu, Chief Accountant of Holland Milk Joint Stock Company, had arbitrarily cut and pasted two Test Result Forms, then certified a true copy of the original to be granted a product declaration acceptance certificate, allowing the circulation of goods on the market. For this act, the police agency has determined it as a criminal case, conducted an investigation, concluded and transferred it to the People's Procuracy of Chi Linh City to prosecute the defendant Do Minh Thu for the crime of "Forgery of seals and documents of agencies and organizations" and the crime of "Using fake seals or documents of agencies and organizations". On April 16, 2024, the People's Court of Chi Linh City tried the case and Thu was sentenced to 62 months in prison.

Some other major violations include: On January 19, 2024, the Economic Police Department, Binh Duong Provincial Police coordinated with Ho Chi Minh City Police to arrest eight subjects led by Vu Thanh Cong, (born in 1988) as the mastermind, leading the organization of production and trading of fake powdered milk under the brands ENSURE, ALPHA LIPIT in Di An City, Binh Duong Province.

The authorities have temporarily seized the means and machinery used to produce fake milk, and seized evidence worth about VND12.2 billion. Binh Duong Provincial Police have initiated a case and prosecuted the eight individuals for the act of producing and trading fake food products.

On April 17, 2024, the Investigation Police Agency, Thanh Hoa City Police initiated a case, prosecuted the accused and issued an order to temporarily detain eight subjects for the crime of "Producing and trading fake food products.

Counterfeit and imitation goods overwhelm real goods

According to the investigation results, from the beginning of 2023 until the time of arrest, the subjects had produced and sold more than 20,000 boxes of fake Vu Hoang Thanh Tam pills to the market, with a total value of about VND50 billion.