On 8/8, Doan Manh Phong, 44, chairman of SRV Forwarding Joint Stock Company, was sentenced to three years in prison by the Hanoi People's Court for smuggling.

Cao Tuan Hung, 35, company director, and Nguyen Hoang Son, 44, accountant, received sentences of four years and two months, and three years and nine months respectively, for the same crime.

All three were found guilty in the case of smuggling mobile phones and computers by Nhat Cuong Company, a case linked to the bid-rigging actions of former Hanoi chairman Nguyen Duc Chung, which was tried in 2022.

Nhat Cuong's warranty center on Giang Vo Street in 2019, before the company's smuggling case was exposed. Photo: Pham Du

Nhat Cuong's warranty center on Giang Vo Street in 2019, before the company's smuggling case was exposed. Photo: Pham Du

The court found that between November 2017 and September 2018, Bui Quang Huy, general director of Nhat Cuong, and his accomplices purchased new and used mobile phones (iPhone, Blackberry, HTC New One, Samsung Galaxy brands), and tablets from 10 overseas suppliers.

Instead of following import regulations, Huy hired a person named Hang (also known as "Yen Hong Kong," "Yen Hai Phong," "Yen HP," whose identity remains unverified) to receive and ship the goods from Hong Kong to Noi Bai International Airport.

At the airport, Phong, Hung, and their network would handle the goods, transporting them to central Hanoi for delivery to Nhat Cuong Company.

Hang informed Phong of the shipping fees, which Phong then relayed to Nhat Cuong. The fees ranged from 300,000 to 1.3 million VND per item, depending on the device and the time. Hang paid Phong 40 to 50 million VND per month.

After transporting the goods and receiving payment from Nhat Cuong, Phong kept his commission and transferred the agreed-upon amount to Hang.

To receive the goods Hang sent from Hong Kong to Vietnam via Noi Bai Airport, Phong and Hung used three companies to handle customs procedures. They declared different items with lower import taxes, such as fiber optic cables, fiber converters, and fabric softener.

Phong also established a joint stock company as a collection point for the smuggled goods before delivering them to Nhat Cuong. He hired Son to monitor and expedite the payment of shipping fees for each shipment.

Data extracted from Nhat Cuong's ERP software and WhatsApp group messages confirmed that over 10 months, Phong and Hung arranged the illegal shipment of 183 orders, totaling 16,976 mobile phones and computers (worth 308 billion VND), from Hong Kong to Vietnam.

This scheme earned Huy and his accomplices 20 billion VND in profit, while Phong and Hung received 7 billion VND in commission.

Defendants, leaders and employees of Nhat Cuong, appeared in court in November 2021, while the general director remained at large. Photo: Pham Du

Defendants, leaders and employees of Nhat Cuong, appeared in court in November 2021, while the general director remained at large. Photo: Pham Du

On 21/9/2018, Phong and Hung used their company to file three customs declarations, falsely declaring the imported goods as fiber optic cables and fiber converters. Upon inspection, the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department (General Department of Customs) discovered 1,157 iPhones, worth 30.3 billion VND, contradicting the declaration.

This incident was incorporated into Nhat Cuong's smuggling case (phase 1), which was tried in late 2021.

During the investigation, Phong and Hung claimed to have received treatment for schizophrenia. However, a forensic examination concluded that before, during, and at the time of the assessment (3/2025), they were not mentally ill and were fully capable of understanding and controlling their actions.

Nhat Cuong's general director remains at large, and the investigation against him has been suspended.

Regarding three officials at the Noi Bai International Airport Customs Sub-Department involved in Phong and Hung's false declarations, authorities determined they had followed proper inspection procedures and found no grounds for disciplinary action.

The 7 billion VND Phong and Hung earned from smuggling nearly 17,000 devices for Nhat Cuong has been confiscated.

Hai Thu