Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have dismantled a smuggling operation importing goods illegally from China to Vietnam. Five suspects were arrested following the discovery of suspicious cargo in a container truck on the city's outskirts.

Investigation uncovers large-scale smuggling operation

On January 24, the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Police Department announced the indictment and temporary detention of five individuals on charges of "illegal transportation of goods and currency across borders."

The suspects include Pham Hong Thiet (42, from Yen Bai), Hoang Manh Cuong (32, from Yen Bai), Huynh Ngoc Cam Nhu (33, from Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), Nguyen Thi Hong Loan (30, from Lao Cai), and Nguyen Hoang Yen Trang (30, from An Giang).

At the end of December 2024, police officers from the Economic Police Department, in coordination with Hoc Mon District Police, stopped a container truck near a warehouse in Xuan Thoi Thuong Commune. The vehicle was carrying goods suspected of being illegally imported.

Upon inspection, authorities found items such as food products, cleaning solutions, food additives, lithium-ion batteries, N2O canisters, and refrigerators. The total value of the goods is estimated at billions of Vietnamese dong.

A network of fraudulent companies

Initial investigations revealed that the goods in the container were smuggled and had not been declared to customs.

The container’s shipment was originally declared by Hoa Ban Mai Co., Ltd. through a customs form dated December 24, 2024. However, further inquiries uncovered a broader smuggling network led by Pham Hong Thiet.

Thiet and his accomplices reportedly set up several shell companies to falsify import declarations and illegally transport goods from China to Vietnam for resale.

Dam De