Ho Chi Minh City authorities have successfully broken up a major smuggling ring involving the illegal importation of goods from China into Vietnam. The operation led to the arrest of five individuals after a container truck carrying undeclared goods was intercepted by police.
On January 24, 2025, the Economic Police Department in Ho Chi Minh City revealed that the five suspects had been indicted and temporarily detained for their involvement in “illegal transportation of goods and currency across borders.” The arrested individuals include Pham Hong Thiet (42, Yen Bai), Hoang Manh Cuong (32, Yen Bai), Huynh Ngoc Cam Nhu (33, Ho Chi Minh City), Nguyen Thi Hong Loan (30, Lao Cai), and Nguyen Hoang Yen Trang (30, An Giang).
The bust occurred in late December 2024 when law enforcement, in collaboration with Hoc Mon District Police, stopped a container truck near a warehouse in Xuan Thoi Thuong Commune. Upon searching the truck, authorities discovered a wide range of goods including food items, cleaning products, food additives, lithium-ion batteries, N2O canisters, and refrigerators. These products, valued in the billions of Vietnamese dong, were found to have been smuggled into the country without proper customs declarations.
While the shipment had been initially declared by Hoa Ban Mai Co., Ltd. with a customs form dated December 24, 2024, further investigation uncovered a large-scale smuggling operation led by Pham Hong Thiet. Thiet and his accomplices used multiple shell companies to falsify import records and illegally bring goods from China into Vietnam for resale. The police operation has effectively dismantled the network responsible for the illegal trade.
