Former central Institute of Forensic Psychiatry officials implicated in drug party at Sầm Sơn, Vietnam

Hanoi city police, in cooperation with Thanh Hóa provincial police, released a conclusion that 57 suspects participated in a drug‑related gathering at the Sầm Sơn beach resort in June 2025. The investigation identified Nguyen Thị Mai Anh (b. 1979) and her husband Lê Văn Đông (b. 1978), both former staff of the Central Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, as the ringleaders who bribed colleagues with cash and paid for a vacation for their families, domestic helpers and younger siblings.

Lê Văn Đông procured cannabis, ketamine and other illegal substances in Hanoi, organised their transport to Sầm Sơn and stored them in suitcases and a metal box. At the resort, former nurse Tran Quốc An was found to have used cannabis, and police seized 1,403 g of ketamine from his accommodation. Additional suspects, including Ngô Việt Dũng, a close associate, were charged with related drug offences. The raid at Hotel L. T3 recovered drug‑laden drinks, DJ equipment, speakers and other paraphernalia, leading to the arrest of all participants.

The case highlights serious abuses of authority within a state‑run forensic institution and a large‑scale illegal drug operation involving multiple family members and staff.