Leaders, employees of jewelry brand Helia charged with smuggling, counterfeiting

Police in Vietnam's Thanh Hoa province have launched a criminal investigation and detained eight people in connection with smuggling jewelry and infringing on intellectual property rights. The accused are leaders and employees of Helia Fine Jewelry and Wii Diamonds, companies based in Ho Chi Minh City.

Dao Thuy Trang, deputy director of Helia Fine Jewelry, admitted that the company, licensed to sell gold, stone, and diamond jewelry under the Helia brand, collaborated with Nguyen Van Phuc to create counterfeit items. These fakes mimicked designs from renowned international brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Chrome Hearts.

Trang also reportedly sourced counterfeit Van Cleef, Louis Vuitton, and Bvlgari products from Hong Kong via WeChat for sale in Vietnam. Similarly, Nguyen Van Huy, director of Wii Diamonds, was involved in producing and processing fake jewelry from global luxury brands.

During searches of the companies' offices and related locations, authorities seized over 300 pieces of jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, and rings, all bearing counterfeit famous brand names. Manufacturing equipment was also confiscated. Preliminary findings indicate that between 2022 and their arrest, the suspects sold more than 10,000 fake jewelry items, earning illicit profits estimated at around 30 billion Vietnamese dong (approximately $1.3 million).