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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]
23 clusters · 35 sources · 54 days · First seen · Last updated
Vietnam crackdown freezes diamond and gemstone markets
Entities: Saigon Jewelry Company (SJC) · Phỉ Thúy (jadeite) · Jewelry retailers · Tan Son Nhat International Airport · PNJ
Overview
Vietnam’s anti‑counterfeit drive, launched in early May 2026, expanded into a wide‑ranging crackdown on fake luxury goods and a major diamond‑smuggling network. Authorities recorded nearly 68,000 infringements, seized thousands of counterfeit items and imposed fines above VND 9.6 trillion. Key actions included dismantling a sneaker workshop (6 June), seizing fake jewellery, eyewear and 440 watches in Da Nang (24 June), exposing a counterfeit power‑transformer ring in An Giang (July) and breaking a syndicate that moved about 30,000 diamonds from India via Hong Kong, with an initial seizure of 1,239 stones worth VND 280‑300 billion. The bust caused a sharp loss of confidence among buyers in Ho Chi Minh City; by late July more than a dozen retailers declared bankruptcy or suspended operations, foot traffic continued to fall and many shops refused purchases without full provenance documentation. Prices plunged, with some diamonds dropping from VND 300 million to VND 30 million, yet confidence remained low.
New developments deepened the crisis. A liquidity crunch hit the gemstone market, especially jadeite (phỉ thúy), as shops only redeem gold and refuse to buy back precious stones, pushing sellers to unregulated online groups. Saigon Jewelry Company disclosed that its inventory of 170,876 stones was recorded at an average of VND 6,100 each, igniting panic over valuation practices.
Authorities also dismantled a second transnational smuggling ring that attempted to import hundreds of diamonds through Tan Son Nhat Airport, leading to arrests of Indian and Vietnamese facilitators and further store closures, notably in the An Đông market area. The ongoing fallout is reshaping transaction norms across Vietnam’s high‑value jewellery sector.
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Consumers in Ho Chi Minh City are often required to add cash or are refused when trying to sell gold or diamonds. (multiple consumer reports)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Thiên An, 46, who bought 20 gold rings from PNJ, was told payment for resale would be in installments over 120 days. (consumer interview)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Minh Trang could not sell gold after the Kim Ly shop closed for about a month. (consumer interview)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Hòa in Nha Be could not find buyers for diamond jewellery worth billions of đồng as many shops have closed or refused. (consumer interview)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Some gold retailers only buy gold that was originally purchased from them. (consumer reports)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 30 gold, diamond and gemstone businesses in Ho Chi Minh City temporarily ceased operations within about 20 days from early July. (Nguyễn Văn Dũng, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Jewellery and Gemstones Association)
Timeline
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about 15 hours ago
[BUSINESS] 4 sourcesHo Chi Minh City gold and diamond market faces mass closuresOver 30 gold and diamond shops in Ho Chi Minh City halted operations, leaving consumers unable to sell assets, with some stores demanding extra cash or refusing purchases, and delayed payouts reported by buyers
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3 days ago
[BUSINESS] 2 sourcesVietnam’s Diamond Market Faces Store Closures as Smuggling Ring Is BustedVietnam’s diamond shops are closing as prices plunge, while police bust an India‑Vietnam smuggling ring that tried to import hundreds of gems through Tan Son Nhat Airport.
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5 days ago
[BUSINESS] 3 sourcesVietnam gemstone market faces liquidity crisis and pricing scandalVietnam's gemstone market is stalled as shops refuse to buy back stones, while SJC's disclosure of ultra‑low average stone prices fuels consumer panic and calls for better regulation.
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6 days ago
[CRIME] 9 sourcesVietnam factory seized 50,000 counterfeit Nike shoes for US exportVietnam seized about 50,000 counterfeit Nike, Nike Air and Air Jordan shoes worth over VND 100 bn after a U.S. tip, finding they had already been exported to the United States.
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7 days ago
[BUSINESS] 10 sourcesVietnam's diamond market hit by shop closures after smuggling crackdownVietnam's diamond shops in Cần Thơ stay closed and Ho Chi Minh City traders halt sales after a smuggling bust, sparking a market freeze and loss of consumer confidence.
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12 days ago
[BUSINESS] 11 sourcesHo Chi Minh City diamond market crisis forces store closuresA wave of closures and suspensions hit Ho Chi Minh City’s diamond retailers as market volatility and cash‑flow shortages force stores such as PJA, Cashion and Hoàng Thứ to halt operations and declare bankruptcy
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12 days ago
[BUSINESS] 3 sourcesVietnam's Dong Thap gold shop closure underscores call for tighter gemstone regulationA Dong Thap gold shop closed for restructuring, prompting market oversight, while experts call for diamond market rules akin to gold to improve transparency.
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14 days ago
[BUSINESS] 4 sourcesVietnam diamond retailers pledge to stay open amid market slumpVietnam’s Quy ên Diamond and Kimberly Diamond both vowed to stay open, with Quy ên offering rapid buy‑back services and Kimberly’s CEO livestreaming to address public concerns amid a market downturn.
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16 days ago
[CRIME] 7 sourcesVietnamese beauty queen Hoàng Thanh Nga indicted in transnational diamond smuggling caseVietnam's former Mrs Universe runner‑up Hoàng Thanh Nga, jewelry executive, was indicted for a transnational diamond smuggling ring that seized 1,239 diamonds and allegedly earned over 300 billion VND; a film‑c
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16 days ago
[CRIME] 11 sourcesVietnam police charge major jewelers in transnational diamond smuggling ringVietnam's Thanh Hóa police indicted directors of Kim Lý, Ngọc Tâm and Ngọc Châu Âu in a cross‑border diamond smuggling ring that moved over 30,000 stones worth VND 1.5 trillion, seizing more than 1,200 diamonds
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17 days ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesVietnam police seize thousands of counterfeit shoes and arrest major online sellerVietnam police seized thousands of counterfeit shoes in Dong Nai and arrested a major online seller in Ninh Binh for selling over 3,500 fake pairs, signaling a crackdown on fake‑brand footwear.
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18 days ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesHonda Vietnam issues warning over counterfeit bike partsVietnam seized 105 fake Honda bike parts in Đồng Tháp, warning consumers to buy only from authorized dealers as part of a nationwide anti‑counterfeit campaign.
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18 days ago
[CRIME] 6 sourcesVietnam police target counterfeit clothing ring and social‑media extortion schemeVietnam police arrested Nguyen Manh Cuong for a massive Owen counterfeit clothing ring and Hoang Dao Tu for social‑media extortion of a sand business, seizing over VND 2.3 billion in fake goods and recovering V
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24 days ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesVietnam arrests man for selling counterfeit power transformersVietnam's An Giang police busted a network selling fake power transformers, seizing 137 units worth over 20 bn VND and arresting Trương Văn Tiền, while expanding crackdowns on other counterfeit goods.
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24 days ago
[BUSINESS] 2 sourcesVietnam tightens enforcement against counterfeit trade following US IP warningVietnam intensified a nationwide crackdown on counterfeit goods after a US IP warning, seizing thousands of fakes and reporting a 36 % rise in violations in early 2026, with Section 301 investigation opened.
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28 days ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesVietnam police dismantle diamond smuggling network linked to PNJ-LAP director Dang Ngoc ThaoVietnam police arrested 22 people and seized 1,100 diamonds after breaking a ring that smuggled over 28,000 stones from Hong Kong, generating about 280 billion VND, implicating PNJ‑LAP director Dang Ngoc Thao.
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28 days ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesVietnam police seize 1,100 smuggled diamonds and arrest dozens in nationwide crime crackdownVietnam police seized 1,100 smuggled diamonds worth 280 billion VND and arrested 22 suspects, amid a nationwide crackdown on organised crime including drugs, illegal mining and counterfeit goods.
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about 1 month ago
[BUSINESS] 5 sourcesVietnam crackdown seizes fake watches and tightens e‑commerce rulesDa Nang police seized over 440 unauthorized watches, including major brands, while Vietnam's new e‑commerce law, effective 1 July, forces platforms to police and remove counterfeit goods.
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about 1 month ago
[CRIME] 5 sourcesHo Chi Minh City police arrest director and seize 10,000 fake CrocsHo Chi Minh City police seized ~10,000 counterfeit Crocs and arrested two company officials for industrial‑property violations.
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about 2 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesVietnam Shop Owner Pham Thi Hoai Charged for Counterfeit Eyewear in Dong NaiVietnam police in Dong Nai charged shop owner Pham Thi Hoai with selling counterfeit luxury eyewear worth about 300 million VND, marking the city’s first industrial‑property infringement prosecution.
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about 2 months ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesVietnam police arrest jewelry firm executives in fake luxury goods crackdownVietnam’s Thanh Hoa police seized 300 fake luxury jewelry items and arrested the director and deputy director of two Ho Chi Minh City firms for selling over 10,000 counterfeit pieces worth about 30 billion VND.
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about 2 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesVietnam police bust counterfeit shoe factory, seize 23,000 fake Nike, Adidas, Gucci pairsVietnam police arrested a couple and three aides, seizing 23,000 counterfeit Nike, Adidas, Crocs and Gucci shoes worth over 2 billion đồng in Ho Chi Minh City.
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about 2 months ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesHo Chi Minh City police shut down large counterfeit shoe ringHCMC police seized >23,000 fake Nike, Adidas, Crocs, Gucci shoes worth >2 bn VND and arrested five suspects, including workshop owners Đặng Phước Đạt and Vũ Thị Thu Thủy.
Sources
afamily.vn · autopro.com.vn · baochinhphu.vn · baogiaothong.vn · biz.cafef.vn · cafebiz.vn · cafef.vn · dantri.com.vn · digitalmarketreports.com · erzsebetter.hu · fr.vietnamplus.vn · genk.vn · giadinh.net.vn · kenh14.vn · kienthuc.net.vn · lubicsszilvi.webnode.hu · m.afamily.vn · m.dantri.com.vn · m.kenh14.vn · m.nld.com.vn · m.soha.vn · m.thanhnien.vn · nowjakarta.co.id · soha.vn · sputniknews.vn · thanhnien.com.vn · thanhnien.vn · thelevisalazer.com · tienphong.vn · tuoitre.vn · tuoitrenews.vn · video.soha.vn · vietnamplus.vn · vir.com.vn · vtv.vn
This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history