On 12/3, the Security Investigation Agency of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police announced it dismantled a large-scale fraud operation connected to the Hoang Minh Duong traditional medicine clinic.
The two alleged ringleaders were identified as Hoang Van Toan, 39, and Le Dinh Tien, 30, both residing in Ba Thuoc commune, Thanh Hoa province. Investigators have charged these two, along with 10 other suspects, with "fraudulent appropriation of property" under clause 4, article 174 of the Penal Code.
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Hoang Van Toan arrested. Photo: Lam Son |
Hoang Van Toan arrested. Photo: Lam Son
According to the investigation, Hoang Van Toan, a former bank employee, resigned from his job and enrolled in an online traditional medicine course. After completing the course, Toan and some acquaintances researched bone and joint remedies, then self-mixed herbs for personal use.
In late 2020, Toan borrowed clinic premises and rented a practice certificate from an acquaintance to continue his operations. Using various stems, leaves, and bark purchased from multiple sources, Toan had employees chop, grind into powder, and package them as a product named "Hoang Minh Duong Bone and Joint Herbal Medicine."
Around late 2023, Toan partnered with Le Dinh Tien to advertise the product on social media. Despite knowing the remedy was unlicensed and not a traditional family recipe, the group advertised it as a "three-generation remedy," guaranteeing cures for various bone and joint diseases.
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The Hoang Minh Duong traditional medicine clinic, part of Hoang Minh Duong Co., Ltd. in Ba Thuoc commune, Thanh Hoa province. Photo: Lam Son |
The Hoang Minh Duong traditional medicine clinic, part of Hoang Minh Duong Co., Ltd. in Ba Thuoc commune, Thanh Hoa province. Photo: Lam Son
To build trust, the suspects created numerous fan pages and paid for advertisements on Facebook, TikTok, and Zalo. They also edited images from television programs and impersonated Eastern medicine associations to promote their products.
At the company's headquarters, the group established an operational system with departments for marketing, online consulting, examinations, and medicine production. Consulting staff were trained using pre-written scripts, impersonating doctors and traditional healers, and promising complete treatment to persuade customers to buy the medicine.
When users reported itching or blistering after use, the group sent additional Western medicine, such as Tetracycline, for customers to self-treat, disregarding potential health risks.
According to data extracted from the sales system, from 2023 to 2025, the group sold nearly 87,000 prescriptions to customers nationwide, illicitly profiting over 227 billion VND.
During searches at two production facilities in Ba Thuoc, Thanh Hoa, and another clinic in Hanoi, police seized machinery, raw materials, customer ledgers, consultation scripts, and related computer systems and phones.
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Raw forest leaves, stems, and bark used to produce the fake Hoang Minh Duong bone and joint medicine. Photo: Lam Son |
Raw forest leaves, stems, and bark used to produce the fake Hoang Minh Duong bone and joint medicine. Photo: Lam Son
Investigators reported that many patients experienced edema, blistering, and even signs of skin necrosis after using the medicine.
The Thanh Hoa Provincial Police are continuing to expand the investigation into the case.
Police advised the public to be cautious of medicines advertised on social media, especially products not licensed by health authorities or of unknown origin. They urged anyone discovering suspicious activity to report it immediately to authorities for appropriate action.
Le Hoang
