On 21/11, the Department of Investigation of Corruption, Economic, and Smuggling Crimes (C03) under the Ministry of Public Security announced that it had initiated legal proceedings and temporarily detained Mai and Khanh to investigate charges of smuggling.

Facing the same charges in the case, 5 others were also indicted: Tran Dan Phuong, chief accountant; Nguyen Thi Ngoc Truc, accountant at MK Skincare Company; Vuong Phuong Nghi, director; Vo Hoai Son and Lu XueYi, employees of Khai Hoan Import-Export Company Limited; and Do Bich Thuy, a money transfer service provider in Hanoi.

According to C03, from 2020 to 2024, Phan Thi Mai and her husband Hoang Kim Khanh allegedly conspired to import cosmetics into Vietnam for resale through their Mailisa aesthetic institute chain. They agreed to purchase cosmetics produced in Guangzhou, China, at low prices. These products allegedly lacked the declared quality and ingredients and did not meet the conditions for obtaining a certificate of free sale (CFS) in China.

Mai then colluded with Chinese individuals to forge contracts, altering the origin of the cosmetics from Guangzhou, China, to Hong Kong. This allowed them to obtain a CFS in Hong Kong, organize the illicit import into Vietnam, and advertise the products as Hong Kong-made cosmetics. This strategy aimed to attract domestic customers and build trust, enabling them to sell the products at significantly inflated prices, generating illicit profits amounting to trillions of dong (considering only 3 out of 100 key products offered by the Mailisa system).

Mai Lisa and her husband Hoang Kim Khanh. Photo: FBVN

Phan Thi Mai, 50 years old, also known as Mai Lisa, is a businesswoman from Ha Tinh. She began her career as a hairdresser and makeup artist. Starting from a small salon on Huynh Van Be Street in Ho Chi Minh City, she and her husband, Hoang Kim Khanh, who is 10 years her junior, built the Mailisa brand into a chain with 17 branches.

Beyond business, Mai and her husband gained public attention for their collection of multimillion-dollar supercars and active charitable work, donating money and gifts to the poor and flood-affected communities. On her personal Facebook page, which has over 1,7 million followers, she frequently shares updates on their philanthropic activities and luxurious lifestyle.

In March, during an event organized by Mailisa in Da Nang, the couple's motorcade ran a red light, resulting in a fine from the traffic police. Mai later publicly accepted responsibility, affirming her respect for the law.

Police search a Mailisa branch. Photo: Pham Du

Mailisa's system has faced multiple complaints regarding excessive advertising, unauthorized use of customer images, and selling products that did not match their stated uses. One branch was administratively sanctioned for advertising cosmetics with misleading claims, suggesting they were medicinal products. Market management agencies also inspected the business, requiring it to rectify violations in product labeling and public declarations.

Mai consistently maintained that her business operated transparently and "paid 10-20 billion dong in taxes each month." She asserted that all distributed products had licenses from the Ministry of Health, were genuinely imported, and were not unlicensed or unregulated products.

Most recently, the Drug Administration of Vietnam, Ministry of Health, requested local authorities to collect samples for quality testing of Doctor Magic, Maika Beauty, and MK cosmetics from MK Skincare Company, which are associated with Mailisa aesthetic institute.

Police seized many cartons of documents from a Mailisa facility in Hanoi on 13/11. Photo: Pham Du

Earlier, on the morning of 13/11, police simultaneously raided Mailisa branches across the country. In Ho Chi Minh City, police were present at the building on Huynh Van Banh Street, which houses Mailisa's headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City. The facility's daily operations were suspended, with many officers working inside.

In Hanoi, starting at over 9h, a task force unexpectedly appeared at the Mailisa building on Nguyen Khanh Toan Street, Nghia Do ward. Mobile police were stationed around the entrance to secure the premises while operations were conducted inside. Customers attempting to enter were asked to leave, with the reason given that "the facility is closed today."

Concurrently, several government vehicles arrived at the 4,000 square meter villa in Thoi An Residential Area (formerly District 12), belonging to Phan Thi Mai and Hoang Kim Khanh, owners of the 17-branch Mailisa chain. After several hours of work, authorities transported dozens of cartons of documents to vehicles.

On 13/11, police also conducted operations at Mailisa branches in Dak Lak, Can Tho, Nha Trang, and other locations.