Vietnamese Coffee Producer Nguyen Thanh Binh Charged with Selling Fake Coffee

Khánh Hòa provincial police in Vietnam investigated the coffee business of Nguyen Thanh Binh, a 54‑year‑old resident of Dại Mỹ village, Hòa Trí commune. On 16 July 2026 officers seized 85 packs (42.5 kg) of coffee labeled “Cà phê bột cao cấp Đại Phong” and 38 packs (19 kg) of “Cà phê hạt cao cấp CHỒN – Cà phê xay”. Laboratory tests showed caffeine levels of only 0.14 % and 0.12 %, far below the national minimum of 1 %, confirming the products were counterfeit food items.

The investigation revealed that Binh purchased raw coffee beans and powder from undocumented sources, mixed and repackaged them under the aforementioned brand names, and sold the products through social‑media channels at prices ranging from 100,000 to 190,000 VND per kilogram, without any invoices or traceable documentation. On 31 July 2026 the Khánh Hòa police issued a criminal indictment against Nguyen Thanh Binh for “producing and trading counterfeit food products” under Article 193 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code. A follow‑up report on 1 August 2026 confirmed the charges and detailed the scope of the illegal operation, which began in late 2023 and supplied small cafés in the province.