On July 22, Thanh Hoa Provincial Police announced that, as part of the expanded investigation into Case No. 268V, the provincial Police Investigation Agency had filed charges against four additional suspects for smuggling, while seizing a further 354 diamonds of various types with an estimated total value of VND68.8 billion (US$2.6 million).
The newly charged suspects are Pham Thi Hong Duyen, 32, a resident of Tan Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, head of the Sales Department at Saigon Jewelry Company Limited (SJC); Tran Cong, 51, a resident of Hanh Thong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City; Tran Huu Thanh Quan, 32, a resident of Gia Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City; and Hoang Trung Bac, 34, a resident of Lai Thieu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
The investigation found that between 2022 and 2024, Le Thuy Hang, while serving as General Director of Saigon Jewelry Company Limited (SJC), instructed Pham Thi Hong Duyen, the company's Head of the Sales Department, to procure smuggled diamonds from Hong Kong (China) and arrange their illegal transportation into Vietnam. The diamonds were then distributed through SJC's retail store network for sale.
Pham Thi Hong Duyen was directly responsible for placing orders and receiving the smuggled diamonds. After the shipments arrived in Vietnam, Tran Cong sold the diamonds to SJC, while Tran Huu Thanh Quan and Hoang Trung Bac were responsible for delivering the smuggled diamonds directly to the company.
To conceal the origin of the goods, Pham Thi Hong Duyen used the personal information of numerous customers to enter the diamonds into SJC's management system as if they had been repurchased from individual customers. Through this scheme, the smuggled diamonds were provided with seemingly legitimate documentation before being placed on the market.
After being legitimized in SJC's management system, all of the smuggled diamonds were sent to SJC Dragon Gold Company, SJC's gem certification unit, for grading and certification before being placed in inventory and distributed to the market.
To avoid detection, the suspects split the diamonds into smaller batches for each certification process, thereby creating documentation that appeared legitimate and providing a legal cover for the smuggled goods before they entered commercial circulation.
Based on the suspects' statements and the evidence collected, investigators have initially determined that between 2022 and 2024, the smuggling ring trafficked approximately 3,400 diamonds with an estimated total value of more than VND500 billion.
According to the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police, Le Thuy Hang has previously been sentenced to prison by the court for “Embezzlement of property" and "Abuse of position and power while performing official duties."
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to expand the case.
