On 24/1, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department's Economic Police Division temporarily detained Hien, his wife Ngo My Hoanh (53), and Vo Van Nghe (33) for producing and trading counterfeit curative and preventive medicines.

Nguyen Duy Hien (second from left) with his wife and employees. *Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police Department*

Previously, a task force from the Economic Police Division, in coordination with Binh Hung Commune Police, inspected Nghe while he was transporting many boxes of black pill-form medicine. He could not produce an invoice and admitted to transporting the goods for Hien to a shipping depot for onward transfer to Tay Ninh.

Expanding the investigation, police arrested Hien and several related individuals. During searches of the production facility and warehouses, police seized nearly 13,100 counterfeit medicine products, along with a large quantity of raw materials, machinery, and labels used for packaging.

Police search the counterfeit traditional medicine production facility. *Video: Ho Chi Minh City Police Department*

Investigators determined that Hien played a leading role, directly organizing the production process, even though his previous medicine products had their circulation licenses revoked.

To continue profiting, Hien and his wife clandestinely produced various traditional medicines, but the packaging listed factory information in Singapore, China, and Hong Kong. This falsification of origin aimed to create the appearance of imported goods, making it difficult for authorities to trace the source.

The most dangerous aspect of Hien's formula was the clandestine mixing of Betamethasone. This active ingredient, an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever belonging to the Western medicine group (corticoid), is prohibited for use in traditional medicine.

Some exhibits seized by police. *Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police Department*

Investigators noted that mixing this substance made users feel rapid pain relief, leading them to trust and become dependent on the medicine. However, prolonged use of Betamethasone without medical supervision exposes patients to risks of adrenal insufficiency, stomach ulcers, water retention, brittle bones, and many other serious complications.

The case is undergoing expanded investigation to trace the source of Western medicine raw materials and the distribution agent network.

Quoc Thang