Herbitech execs sentenced to 38 years for fake products in Vietnam

On 20 July, the Hanoi People's Court sentenced 19 defendants linked to the company Herbitech Technology Co Ltd for manufacturing and selling counterfeit food and health‑supplement products. Director Pham Vu Khiem received a total of 26 years’ imprisonment for three offences – producing fake food, serious accounting violations and money‑laundering – while his wife, manager Tran Thi Hue, was given 12½ years for two similar offences. The remaining accused received shorter sentences ranging from suspended terms to six years.

The court ordered all defendants to repay the illicit profits, unpaid taxes and fines amounting to tens of billions of dong. It also recommended that the Ministry of Health and other authorities recall any remaining counterfeit products from the market and urged consumer groups to seek compensation through civil lawsuits. The case revealed systematic fraud in the production of health‑protective supplements, including deliberate alteration of ingredient composition to cut costs, causing substantial loss to the state budget and posing risks to public health.