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Vietnamese police charge 15 in jewelry smuggling and IP infringement case
🇻🇳 Vietnam /Crime & Justice

Vietnamese police charge 15 in jewelry smuggling and IP infringement case

From Tuổi Trẻ · () Vietnamese

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Thanh Hóa Provincial Police in Vietnam have initiated a case and charged 15 individuals for smuggling and infringing intellectual property rights.
  • The suspects allegedly operated a network that used social media and livestreams to sell jewelry falsely branded with famous international luxury names.
  • Investigations revealed the sale of over 10,000 counterfeit jewelry items, generating illicit profits of approximately 30 billion Vietnamese dong.

Authorities in Vietnam's Thanh Hóa Province have launched a criminal case, charging 15 people with smuggling and intellectual property infringement. The investigation targets a network accused of using social media and livestreams to sell counterfeit jewelry bearing logos of globally recognized luxury brands.

According to the Thanh Hóa Provincial Police's Economic Crimes Division, the suspects promoted their products as "high-end design," "international standard," and "custom-made" at preferential prices. The jewelry featured prominent brand names such as Van Cleef, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Chrome Hearts.

During an operation on May 29, police collaborated with Ho Chi Minh City authorities to investigate two companies: Helia Fine Jewelry Co., Ltd. and Wii Diamonds Co., Ltd. Investigators questioned 20 individuals, including managers, sales staff, and artisans. Đào Thùy Trang, deputy director of Helia Fine Jewelry, admitted that while her company was licensed to produce jewelry under its own "Helia" brand, she and her staff collaborated with Nguyễn Văn Phúc to create and process numerous counterfeit items from famous brands. Trang also confessed to ordering fake Van Cleef, Louis Vuitton, and Bvlgari products from contacts in Hong Kong via WeChat for sale in Vietnam.

In the process of operation, Trang and staff contacted Nguyễn Văn Phúc to fabricate and process many fake products of famous brands such as Van Cleef, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany&Co, Chrome Hearts...

— Đào Thùy TrangDeputy Director of Helia Fine Jewelry, admitting to the production of counterfeit items.

Searches uncovered over 300 pieces of counterfeit jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, and rings, along with manufacturing equipment like polishing machines, laser welders, gold rollers, engraving machines, and chemical supplies. Police estimate that since 2022, the suspects have sold more than 10,000 counterfeit jewelry items, earning illicit profits of around 30 billion Vietnamese dong (approximately $1.2 million USD).

The 15 individuals charged include Đào Thùy Trang, 27; Nguyễn Thị Diệu Linh, 26; Phạm Văn Đức, 32; Hồ Khắc Châu, 38; and Nguyễn Văn Huy, 33, all from Ho Chi Minh City, facing charges of smuggling and infringing industrial property rights. Three others, Nguyễn Văn Phúc, 38, and Nguyễn Thị Bích Trâm, 21, from Đồng Tháp Province, and Trần Nguyễn Trâm Anh, 35, from Ho Chi Minh City, are charged with infringing industrial property rights. Trần Duy Phú, 44, from Ho Chi Minh City, faces smuggling charges.

In addition, Trang also contacted people in Hong Kong (China) through the WeChat application to order fake products of Van Cleef, Louis Vuitton and Bvlgari brands to bring back to Vietnam for consumption.

— Đào Thùy TrangDeputy Director of Helia Fine Jewelry, detailing the source of some counterfeit goods.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tuổi Trẻ in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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