Brian Jeffrey
Authorities have traced the origin of a substantial quantity of dietary supplements discarded in a suburban area of Ho Chi Minh City to Nguyen Phuoc S., a 36-year-old executive from District 12, based on the accounts of two hired transporters responsible for the disposal.
As reported by VietNamNet, the police in HCMC, working alongside local officials, pinpointed Nguyen Phuoc S. as the proprietor of the rejected items. He is listed as the director and legal representative of Natural Care Green Health Co., Ltd., located in the Tan Hung Thuan Ward, District 12.
In an earlier investigation, law enforcement examined security camera footage from multiple locations along Nguyen Van Linh Street in Phong Phu Commune, Binh Chanh District, where the dietary supplement boxes were found. After further inquiry, authorities called in two individuals: T.V.C., aged 34, and T.M.L., aged 32, who live in Binh Chanh District.
The men used a motorized tricycle to transport a significant amount of dietary supplements, which they discarded in vacant lots along the street. They confessed to being paid 7 million VND (approximately USD 290) for the task and confirmed Nguyen Phuoc S. as the owner of the products.
During the investigation, S. acknowledged that he had procured a variety of dietary supplements from unreliable sources over the past year and stored them at his company’s facility.
He then went on to promote and sell these items on online platforms such as Shopee and Lazada, making a profit through price increases. S. conceded that the products lacked invoices or any documentation verifying their legality.
Recently, in light of potential crackdowns on counterfeit and substandard goods, and anticipating inspections of his premises, S. opted to dispose of the inventory. He hired the two individuals to take care of the disposal.
S. allegedly instructed them to incinerate the products. However, the hired men only partially burned some items, as the packages remained intact, and ultimately ended up discarding the rest, while keeping a few for themselves.
On the morning of June 6, local residents came across large quantities of thrown-away dietary supplements scattered along Nguyen Van Linh Street. Authorities from Phong Phu Commune quickly responded and notified HCMC police.
Police confirmed that the supplements were discarded across four different locations. The items mainly consisted of products aimed at supporting liver and brain health, digestion, memory enhancement, DHA for children, as well as multivitamins for kids and pregnant women, in addition to some cough syrups.
Thousands of boxes and blister packs bore expiration dates ranging from 2026 to 2028, with labels in Vietnamese, English, Korean, and Japanese. Some packages indicated they were produced at facilities in Hanoi and Thanh Hoa.
Currently, investigators from HCMC police are conducting forensic analyses on the entire volume of discarded dietary supplements. They are working to confirm the products’ origins and the reasons behind the disposal while continuing to interview all involved parties. Legal proceedings will follow in accordance with Vietnamese regulations.
Dam De-Phuoc Sang
