Brian Jeffrey
Ho Chi Minh City authorities have successfully shut down a smuggling ring involved in the illegal importation of goods from China. This operation led to the arrest of five individuals after suspicious cargo was located in a truck on the outskirts of the city.
Large-scale smuggling operation revealed
On January 24, the Economic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City announced the indictment and provisional detention of five suspects for “illegal transportation of goods and currency across borders.”
The arrested individuals include Pham Hong Thiet (42 years old, from Yen Bai), Hoang Manh Cuong (32, from Yen Bai), Huynh Ngoc Cam Nhu (33, from Thu Duc City in Ho Chi Minh City), Nguyen Thi Hong Loan (30, from Lao Cai), and Nguyen Hoang Yen Trang (30, from An Giang).
In late December 2024, officers from the Economic Police, together with local police from Hoc Mon District, intercepted a container truck near a warehouse in the Xuan Thoi Thuong Commune, which was found to be carrying potentially smuggled goods.
The inspection revealed various products, including food items, cleaning agents, food additives, lithium-ion batteries, N2O canisters, and refrigerators, with the total value amounting to billions of Vietnamese dong.
Discovery of a fraudulent network
Investigations indicated that the items in the container were smuggled and had bypassed customs declaration.
The shipment was initially declared by Hoa Ban Mai Co., Ltd. via a customs form dated December 24, 2024. However, further probing uncovered a wider smuggling operation orchestrated by Pham Hong Thiet.
Thiet and his associates allegedly created multiple shell companies to falsify import records and facilitate the illegal transportation of goods from China to Vietnam for resale.
Dam De
