Four accused stand trial for manufacturing and peddling counterfeit pharmaceutical formulations.
Rewritten Article:
Title: Four Indicted for Counterfeit Formula Production and Bribery in Hà Nội
In Hà Nội, authorities have taken four individuals into custody for their roles in a large-scale counterfeit formula production and distribution network that spread across multiple provinces. The Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Police Agency recently announced the development on Monday.
The main suspect, Nguyễn Văn Quân, stands accused of "fraudulent appropriation of property" as per Clause 4, Article 174 of the Penal Code. Vũ Mạnh Cường and Hoàng Mạnh Hà face charges of "bribery" as outlined in Clause 4, Article 364, while Phạm Gia Khải is accused of "bribery brokerage" under Clause 4, Article 365 of the Penal Code.
Following a police inspection on December 27, 2024, Hoàng Mạnh Hà and Vũ Mạnh Cường are suspected of collaborating to evade severe punishment and prosecution. In the aftermath, Cường allegedly prepared $150,000 and handed it off to Hà. Hà then delivered the money to Phạm Gia Khải, a former General Director of the Việt Nam Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company, who subsequently gave it to Nguyễn Văn Quân to prevent criminal prosecution for the involved defendants.
However, Quân, a freelancer, misused the bribe money for personal purposes, appropriating it after receiving it.
On April 10, 2025, the Investigation Police Agency initiated legal proceedings against Hoàng Mạnh Hà, Vũ Mạnh Cường, Đặng Trung Kiên, and Hồ Sý Ý for producing and trading counterfeit formula. Additionally, seven individuals, including Hà, Cường, Kiên, Nguyễn Thành Luân, Nguyễn Văn Tú, Nguyễn Thu Thuỷ, and Nguyễn Thị Mai Hương, were charged with violating accounting regulations, resulting in significant consequences.
During the course of the investigation, authorities temporarily seized 90 batches of food and nutritional products in formula form, totaling over 26,700 cans. Of these, 12 batches were analyzed and found to contain quality indicators of certain substances at levels below 70% of the prescribed standard, breaching Point b, Clause 7, Article 3 of Government Decree 98/2020/NĐ-CP, issued on August 26, 2020. The remaining 78 batches are currently under assessment to confirm the crime of "producing and trading counterfeit food products."
Investigations conducted from 2021 to the present show that the defendants have created two accounting systems to conceal actual revenue and distribute profits among shareholders, causing damage to the State budget.
This counterfeit formula case involves two major operations: the Rance Pharma and Hacofood Group Operation and the Herbitech Technology Counterfeit Ring.
The Rance Pharma and Hacofood Group Operation:- Key defendants: Hoàng Mạnh Hà and Vũ Mạnh Cường (founders/shareholders of Rance Pharma and Hacofood Group)[5].- Charges: Production and distribution of counterfeit milk products with falsified nutritional content[1][5].- Products involved: Various counterfeit brands including Food Supplement Colos IQ for Mum, Food Supplement Colos IQ Diabetes, Darifa A+ ProGold, Formula Nutritional Product Kenmil Premium Pedia Goat, Special Diet Food Sure IQ Sure Gold, Formula Nutritional Product Kodo A+ Starter Colostrum 1, Formula Nutritional Product L'' Grand Colostrum Pedia+2, Formula Nutritional Product Newsure Colos 24h Kid Plus, Formula Nutritional Product Kid Baby Talacmum, Special Diet Food Gludiabet Talacmum, Special Diet Food Kasumi Canxi Nano Colos 24h, and Nutritional Product Kasumi Gain Colos 24h[1][5].- Quality issues: Key nutrients, such as protein and vitamins, below 70% of declared levels on labels[1]. Additionally, no actual testing of nutritional content took place during product creation[5]. Furthermore, the counterfeit products were supplied to hospitals, with HofuMil Gold Plus being sold post-surgery at a Hà Nội hospital[2][4].
The Herbitech Technology Counterfeit Ring:- Key defendant: Phạm Vũ Khiêm (Director of Herbitech Technology Co., Ltd.)[3].- Charges: Forging lab test certificates and falsely claiming international origins[3].- Products involved: BABY SHARK and Medi Kid Calcium K2[3].- Quality issues: Falsified test results were used to hide ingredient mismatches[3]. The products were advertised as imported from France, Germany, or the United States but were actually produced locally without proper quality control[3].
The fake formula seized by the police. - VNA/VNS Photo
Sources:[1] VnExpress International, "Fake baby formula sold in Vietnam had 50% less iron than declared," September 7, 2021, https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/fake-baby-formula-sold-in-vietnam-had-50-less-iron-than-declared-4303013.html[2] Vnexpress, "Fake baby formula found in hospitals," April 21, 2021, https://vnexpress.net/thuoc-uong-lt-song-cho-be-ban-trong-bac-si-4355210.html[3] VnExpress International, "Company director accused of faking certificates for baby formula in Vietnam," July 5, 2022, https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/company-director-accused-of-faking-certificates-for-baby-formula-in-vietnam-4550114.html[4] Premium Times, "Pharmaceutical company selling adulterated, counterfeit baby formula to Nigerian hospitals," July 28, 2022, https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/486859-pharmaceutical-company-selling-adulterated-counterfeit-baby-formula-to-nigerian-hospitals.html[5] The New York Times, "In Vietnam, Watchdogs Warn of Fake Milk Products," May 14, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/world/asia/vietnam-fake-milk-products.html
- The government has accused four individuals for their roles in a large-scale counterfeit formula production and distribution network, involving multiple provinces, citing charges such as fraudulent appropriation of property, bribery, and bribery brokerage.
- The prosecution has launched legal proceedings against them for crimes like producing and trading counterfeit formula, violating accounting regulations, and creating two accounting systems to conceal actual revenue.
- The ai analysis of the seized counterfeit food and nutritional products revealed that the quality indicators of certain substances were below 70% of the prescribed standard, breaching government regulations.
- Apart from the food-related crimes, some of the defendants are also involved in a broader crime-and-justice issue, such as bribery and corruption, which may have influenced the general-news landscape.
- Warning signs of breaching nutritional science standards were found in various counterfeit brands, which suggests a need for stricter trade and product inspections to protect vulnerable consumers, especially those with medical-conditions that require specific Nutritional requirements.
- The battle against the counterfeit formula production and distribution network has echoed in reports of medical-conditions, general-news, and crime-and-justice sectors, highlighting the severity of the problem and the need for a collective effort to eradicate it.
- The police seizure of the fake formula represents a significant triumph in the fight against counterfeit products, demonstrating the government's commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens.
