The General Director of Holland Milk Company was apprehended on charges of producing and trading counterfeit food.
The Environmental Crime Prevention Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, initiated a criminal case at the end of 2022 concerning the production and trading of counterfeit food linked to Holland Milk Company located at 335 Tran Cung in Hanoi’s Bac Tu Liem District along with its associated branches and warehouses.
During the course of the investigation, authorities alleged that Nguyen Trung Vuong, who holds a university degree in pharmacy and possesses training in food safety, was aware that the production and sale of substandard food products posed potential health risks to consumers and violated the law. Despite this awareness, he proceeded to engage in these illegal activities for financial gain.
The General Director was found to have directly directed employees throughout all phases of production and distribution. The production processes were primarily managed remotely via computer networks and Zalo groups, facilitating communication between the general director and the staff.
The authorities conducted an inspection and collected 67 samples of finished products, representing 33 different product types from 8 companies that manufacture goods at the Holland Milk factory. Out of these, 66 out of 67 product batches were sent for testing, revealing that the primary quality indicators fell below 70 percent. The total value of these products, as indicated by the sales invoices, exceeded VND4.1 billion.
Additionally, the investigation revealed that chief accountant Do Minh Thu of Holland Dairy Company had unlawfully altered the test result certificates and subsequently obtained a certified copy from the People's Committee of Dong Lac Commune. This action enabled the issuance of a product announcement receipt, allowing the products to be distributed in the market.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, in the first half of 2024, environmental police uncovered and initiated legal proceedings in 17 cases, with 2 cases being transferred for prosecution, involving 27 defendants.
Regarding administrative enforcement, various units and localities identified, confronted and addressed 5,968 cases (a 36.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023), involving 5,988 individuals violating food safety laws. Legal actions included the initiation of 19 cases with 27 defendants, alongside administrative fines imposed on 5,586 cases.
