Nine Dak Lak forest protection officials charged as monthly bribe scheme uncovered

Nine forest management and protection officials in Vietnam’s Dak Lak province have been charged in a case involving alleged monthly payments to let illegally sourced timber pass through checkpoints.

Police said the officials received more than 160 million dong through 16 transactions between January 2025 and April 2026. Investigators also charged Nguyễn Thị Nga Huyền, director of Nông Huyền Co., with allegedly paying bribes and violating regulations on the exploitation and protection of forests and forest products.

The investigation began after police inspected the company in Ea H'leo commune on April 16. Officers seized more than 195 cubic meters of various types of timber and more than 3,500 steres of firewood without invoices or documents proving their origin. Huyền told investigators that she had bought the forest products from liquidations by state agencies and residents who had harvested them in natural forests or planted gardens. She then processed the material into wood chips for resale.

Investigators determined that more than 148 cubic meters of the timber came from ordinary forests, while more than 19 cubic meters belonged to a category of endangered, rare and valuable forest plants classified as Group IIA. None had documentation establishing the products’ origin.

Police said Huyền paid 10 million dong a month to officials at Subdivision 1 of the Chu Pha Forestry Company so trucks could pass through the area without inspection or action. If a vehicle was detected, those involved allegedly arranged for it to continue. The subdivision’s leadership assigned forest protection employee Lê Văn Hoàng to contact Huyền and press for the monthly payments. The money moved through several intermediary accounts to avoid detection, police said. The investigation continues.