Producing counterfeit energy drinks, sold near school gates

Nguyen Son Tung, 37, is accused of manufacturing fake energy drinks and distributing them through retailers near school gates, primarily targeting students.

On 25/4, Quang Tri Provincial Police temporarily detained Nguyen Son Tung, a resident of Ba Don ward, to investigate his alleged involvement in producing and trading counterfeit food products. The charges fall under Article 193 of the Penal Code.

The investigative police agency served the indictment decision to Nguyen Son Tung (left). Photo: Quang Tri Provincial Police

Tung serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of QUABICO Trading and Manufacturing Co., Ltd., which is headquartered in Dong Thuan ward. He established the company in 2024, announcing and producing Dorje brand energy drinks, advertised as having "original" and strawberry flavors.

According to the investigative agency, the company's facility did not implement required quality control measures. Consequently, the actual ingredients in their products did not align with the information declared to regulatory authorities.

During the production process, Tung allegedly reduced the caffeine content to below 70 percent of the declared amount and omitted choline, a standard ingredient. This made the product fail to meet the established standards for energy drinks. These substandard products were then primarily distributed through small retailers located near primary and secondary schools across the province, with students as the main consumers.

Police determined that Tung had produced 492 bottles of counterfeit energy drinks. An additional 1,848 bottles were seized as evidence for the ongoing investigation.