On 15/5, Bac Ninh Provincial Police announced the temporary detention of Le The Hai, 37, Le The Bay, 41, (both from Thanh Hoa) and Khuat Minh Tien, 28, (residing in Ha Noi) for the crime of forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations.

Hai had a previous conviction for document forgery, providing him with experience in evading authorities.

Seized exhibits. Photo: *Police provided*

According to the investigation, Hai and his accomplices established a ring to forge diplomas and certificates for profit. Hai and Bay directly handled the forgery process.

To find clients, the group hired individuals to run advertisements on social media. Once an order for a degree or certificate was placed, the two would complete the fake documents and send them via passenger bus to the buyers. Each set of forged documents sold for 1,5 to 3 million Vietnamese Dong.

Police determined that from 2025 to the present, the group forged thousands of seals and documents for approximately 110 agencies and organizations. These included: 53 universities, academies, colleges, and vocational schools; 15 Departments of Education and Training; 30 high schools and junior high schools; two departments and institutes under the Ministry of Education; four foreign language and information technology centers; and six commune/ward People's Committees.

The group is accused of illegally profiting billions of Vietnamese Dong.

The three suspects in the case. Photo: *Police provided*

During the search, police seized numerous devices used for forgery, including computers, photocopiers, color printers, heat presses, homemade hydraulic presses, along with 80 fake diplomas, certificates, transcripts, and notarized copies.