The investigation began after local authorities monitored online spaces and uncovered a network of deceptive Facebook pages—including accounts named “Đoàn Thị Thủy,” Nguyễn Thu Hoài,
and “Ngô Thị Xuân”—running continuous promotional campaigns.
The Apartment Headquarters and the Operation
On July 29, the Hà Đông ward police established a specialized investigative task force under case file 001Q. Investigators established that Tú contracted with Dương Thị Quỳnh, 33 years old, to acquire various unidentified plant stems and leaves. Quỳnh processed these raw botanical materials into powders, concentrated pastes, or chopped fragments, which were then bottled and labeled.
Products, Claims, and Regulatory Findings
The ring manufactured and distributed several items carrying unverified titles such as Tiêu Giáp Đường, Tiêu Giáp Thiện, Tiêu Mộc Thiện, Bột Tiêu U, Cao U Đường, and Dược liệu hỗ trợ tiêu u hạch. Product packaging and accompanying promotional materials claimed these preparations could limit the growth of fibroids, reduce their size, and treat conditions including uterine fibroids, benign breast tumors, prostate disorders, thyroid growths, and lipomas.
Regulatory checks confirmed the illicit nature of the enterprise. The Traditional Medicine Administration under the Ministry of Health had not received documentation or issued circulation registration certificates for the ten inspected products. Health specialists noted that because product labels failed to disclose ingredients, professional authorities lacked a sufficient basis to evaluate composition or potential toxic hazards.
Customer Deception and Rolled-Out Roles
To expand their customer base, the group operated additional social media profiles under the names “Nguyễn Thị Lan” and “Lê Thị Tiến,” bringing their total number of active fake accounts to five.
Tú provided prewritten scripts for Điệt and Quân to share fabricated recovery stories, collect prospective buyers’ phone numbers, and hand them off to the sales division. Employees Triệu Thị Thảo, Lưu Tuấn Nghĩa, Đinh Mạnh Đức, and Hoàng Quốc Đạt then assumed the identities of “Doctor Thien,” communicating via Zalo to consult with buyers, conduct virtual diagnoses, and prescribe treatments according to established scripts. Once customers agreed to purchase, Quỳnh packaged and dispatched the goods, with staff members receiving compensation based on revenue shares.
Arrests and Financial Scale
The investigative agency of the Hanoi Police Department formally prosecuted eight suspects on charges of property fraud. Six individuals—Nguyễn Văn Tú, Dương Thị Quỳnh, Lưu Tuấn Nghĩa, Đinh Mạnh Đức, Hoàng Quốc Đạt, and Lê Hồng Quân—were placed in temporary detention.
Law enforcement agencies are currently reviewing records for numerous other buyers, with preliminary estimates suggesting total illicit transactions could reach several billion dong as the Economic Police Department assists local investigators in widening the probe.
