Nguyen Ai Chau (R), 42, and Tran Quoc Thai, 45, both residents of Ho Chi Minh City, have been prosecuted for allegedly smuggling more than 7,000 chemical products used to ripen and preserve durians, valued at over VND4.5 billion (US$171,000), from China and Thailand. Photo: Sy Duc
The suspects were identified as Nguyen Ai Chau, 42, and Tran Quoc Thai, 45, both residents of Ho Chi Minh City.
According to initial findings, Chau began sourcing chemicals to ripen durians from China and Thailand in September 2024 to resell in Vietnam.
She rented a warehouse in Dak Lak’s Thanh Nhat Ward, hired workers, and coordinated shipments through informal border channels.
Thai was among her contacts for supplies from Thailand, while another man in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam arranged imports from China.
Once chemicals were delivered to Dak Lak, they were stored and distributed to buyers.
On October 1 last year, police raided multiple sites in Dak Lak and Ho Chi Minh City, seizing 7,039 chemical products worth more than VND4.5 billion.
Police have expanded the investigation to identify additional suspects and networks involved.
