Ho Chi Minh City police dismantle large-scale fake fertilizer ring

Ho Chi Minh City police have dismantled a major organized ring involved in the production and sale of counterfeit fertilizer. Led by Nguyen Hong Lam, the group operated through an ecosystem of companies, including Vang Agricultural Trade JSC, Polaris Agricultural Technology JSC, and Anfer Vietnam Co., Ltd.

Investigators found that the group imported low-cost fertilizers from China, South Korea, Laos, and Taiwan, storing them in a warehouse in the Song Than 1 Industrial Zone. The suspects then used professional printing services to create packaging with false origins, claiming products were from high-value markets such as India and Belgium. The counterfeit goods, including Magnesium Sulphate and Kali Sulphate, were sold via social media platforms like Facebook, Telegram, Zalo, and TikTok across Southern Vietnam and the Central Highlands, generating tens of billions of VND in illicit profits.

Authorities have prosecuted and detained 11 suspects. More than 2,100 tons of counterfeit fertilizer and hundreds of thousands of fake packaging items were seized during the operation.