Vietnam police charge major jewelers in transnational diamond smuggling ring

The Thanh Hóa provincial police expanded Special Investigation 268V on 12‑14 July 2026, targeting a cross‑border diamond smuggling network. Four directors were initially indicted: Lê Thị Ngọc Mỹ (Kim Lý), Nguyễn Thị Liên (Ngọc Tâm), Hoàng Thị Thanh Nga (Ngọc Châu Âu) and a PNJ‑lab employee, with a total of 31 suspects later charged. Authorities seized 1,239‑1,300 diamonds and other jewelry, estimating that the ring moved more than 30,000 diamonds worth over VND 1,500 billion and generated illicit profits exceeding VND 300 billion.

The scheme used Indian contacts to purchase diamonds, coordinated from Hong Kong, and employed encrypted WhatsApp groups to negotiate prices about one‑third below market rates. Shipments were concealed in personal luggage at airports such as Tân Sơn Nhất, Nội Bài, Đà Nẵng and Phú Quốc. Following the arrests, the implicated stores – Kim Lý, Ngọc Châu Âu and Ngọc Tâm – were ordered to close temporarily; the companies have announced cooperation with authorities and affirmed that all sold diamonds meet declared quality standards.