Vietnam police bust international diamond smuggling ring

An international diamond smuggling ring operating between Hong Kong and Vietnam has been busted by police in Vietnam's Thanh Hoa province. The investigation has resulted in the arrest of 22 individuals, including foreign nationals and a director from a local gem appraisal company, PNJLap.

The ring, reportedly led by Indian nationals, allegedly sourced diamonds from India, consolidated them in Hong Kong, and then smuggled them into Vietnam for distribution. Police identified key figures in the operation, including Abhishek Deepak Patel, an Indian national managing diamonds and sales revenue in Vietnam, and Trịnh Quang Chung, who allegedly received diamonds in Hong Kong and transported them illegally into Vietnam.

Further distribution within Vietnam was handled by Đặng Ngọc Sơn and Trần Thị Hằng, who received the smuggled diamonds to deliver to buyers in Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang, and Hanoi. During searches of 20 illicit diamond trading locations, authorities confiscated over 1,100 diamonds of various types, along with supporting evidence.

Notably, Đặng Ngọc Thảo, director of PNJLap, was arrested for allegedly colluding with others to import diamonds with incorrect appraisal documents at lower prices. Thảo is accused of altering GIA (Gemological Institute of America) markings on these diamonds to pass them off as PNJLap-certified products, thereby compromising the integrity of the appraisal process and customer trust. The investigation revealed that from 2024 until their arrest, the group conducted 141 smuggling operations, bringing more than 28,000 diamonds into Vietnam with an estimated total revenue of approximately 280 billion Vietnamese dong (around $11 million USD).