On 12/2, Tuan Anh, 33; his younger brother Nguyen Viet Anh, 32; Hoang Duc Giang; Nguyen Duc Trinh, 32; and Nguyen Duc Hao, 34, were indicted by Ha Tinh Provincial Police for illegal trading of prohibited goods under Clause 3, Article 190 of the Criminal Code.

Five suspects (center) at the investigative agency. Photo: Provided by Police

According to the investigation, in mid-2023, Tuan Anh's group began trading e-cigarettes, including vape devices, e-liquids, cartridges, and disposable pods, operating from an urban area in Hanoi.

Initially, the group sold products directly, but later transitioned to online sales via social media and Telegram to avoid detection by authorities.

Despite the state prohibiting the possession, trade, transport, and use of e-cigarettes starting 1/1/2025, Tuan Anh and his employees continued to import products due to the high profits.

Thousands of e-cigarette products seized from the homes of Tuan Anh and his accomplices in Hanoi. Photo: Provided by Police

The Tuan Anh brothers contacted numerous domestic and international suppliers, including a foreign individual of unknown identity, to procure their goods. The e-cigarettes and components were then stored in several warehouses in An Khanh commune, Hanoi, and other nearby locations.

To expand their operations, the brothers hired staff to manage warehouses, handle packaging, and deliver goods. Orders were finalized through private social media groups. Products were dispersed across multiple locations, storage facilities were kept secret, and financial transactions were conducted through various personal bank accounts to obscure their origin.

A few months prior, detectives identified several social media accounts displaying signs of large-scale illegal e-cigarette sales, initiating an investigation that ultimately exposed Tuan Anh's syndicate.

E-cigarettes sold by Tuan Anh's group in private social media groups. Photo: Provided by Police

In early February, dozens of police officers raided four of the group's warehouses, seizing 136 boxes containing nearly 50,000 various e-cigarette products. A forensic assessment by the Institute of Criminal Science (Ministry of Public Security) determined the total value of all seized evidence to be over 8,7 billion dong.

The case is currently under expanded investigation.

Duc Hung