Vietnam police bust $43 million seafood smuggling ring, arrest officials and company director

The Hải Phòng City Police and the Economic Crime Investigation Unit dismantled a large-scale seafood smuggling network that moved goods worth more than 1,000 billion VND (about $43 million) from China into Vietnam. The operation involved illegal import of crabs, shrimp, and other fish, with the goods being stored in warehouses in Hanoi before being distributed nationwide.

Authorities arrested Lưu Văn Ba, head of the regional Livestock and Veterinary Office, and five subordinate officials for accepting bribes that facilitated the smuggling. They also detained Nguyễn Thị Thu, director of Sy Hung Seafood Co., and other members of the criminal group, including the alleged ringleader Phạm Văn Tùng. Investigators seized dozens of vehicles, two self‑propelled boats, about 30 tons of seafood, and cash totaling roughly 2.7 billion VND. The bribery payments to officials were estimated at 1.8 billion VND.

The case highlights extensive corruption within customs and veterinary inspection agencies that allowed the illegal import and sale of un‑checked seafood across multiple provinces, prompting a broader crackdown on similar networks.