100 police officers busted a ring that illegally dumped over 20,000 tons of waste into the environment.
Under the guise of a legal entity with environmental processing functions, Le Thi Thuy Trang and her accomplices established an illegal waste treatment "ecosystem," directly dumping tens of thousands of tons of industrial waste into the environment to reap enormous illicit profits.
The Economic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City Police announced that it has decided to initiate a criminal case, indict and temporarily detain Le Thi Thuy Trang (born in 1977, residing in An Lac Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) and six accomplices for the crimes of "causing environmental pollution" and "illegally trading invoices".
The perfect "shell" of the female villain.
According to authorities, through investigative work and territorial management, the Environmental Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) discovered that Le Thi Thuy Trang was the mastermind and leader of an exceptionally large-scale environmental crime ring. Recognizing the seriousness of the case, the unit established a special investigation, coordinating with the Economic Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) and the Economic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City to investigate and clarify the matter.
Through investigation, the task force determined that, to conceal her activities, Trang did not directly register the companies under her own name but hired people to act as legal representatives for four companies, including: Thinh Phat Environmental Trading and Service Company, Thinh Phat Environmental Service Company, An Binh Transportation, and Dat Xanh Southern Environment Company.
Under Trang's direction, these companies offered waste treatment services to textile, leather, paper, and seafood businesses at "super cheap" prices. Thanks to having all the necessary permits and environmental treatment capabilities, this "ecosystem" easily secured numerous large-value contracts.
However, instead of transporting the waste to the factory for proper processing, Trang instructed her subordinates to carry out "deceptive maneuvers."
After collection, the waste is transported directly by drivers to secluded areas in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Thap, and Tay Ninh to be illegally dumped or buried under the guise of land leveling, with a volume of approximately 25-30 tons per trip. Some trips even involve bringing the waste to the warehouses of Dat Xanh Mien Nam Company for temporary storage to evade inspection, before being illegally dumped again at night.
To legitimize the flow of money and deceive the tax authorities, Trang purchased hundreds of fraudulent value-added tax invoices from Thanh Lap Company, at a cost of 3.2–6% of the total value.
The forensic examination results from the Institute of Criminal Science (Ministry of Public Security) determined that more than 20,160 tons of sludge, coal slag, stone powder, etc., that Trang's group discharged into the environment were all untreated solid waste, posing a serious threat to the ecosystem.
100 police officers mobilized for emergency search.
After a long period of investigation, at the end of March 2026, the Environmental Police Department, in coordination with professional units of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ho Chi Minh City Police, mobilized nearly 100 officers and soldiers to simultaneously conduct urgent searches at 6 locations.
At the scene, authorities seized over $50,000, nearly 2 billion VND in cash, dozens of land ownership certificates, and a large quantity of documents and accounting records related to illegal activities. Additionally, 23 people were taken in for questioning to assist with the investigation.
To date, the police have identified 11 locations where this network illegally dumped waste, totaling more than 20,160 tons of solid waste.
The investigation into this case is currently being expanded to clarify the responsibilities of the polluters and other related parties.
The Environmental Police Department advises businesses to exercise caution and choose reputable waste treatment units. Any illegal dumping or landfilling for profit will be severely punished according to the law, in order to protect the living environment.
