Busting a multi-level marketing network selling banned substances with nearly 200,000 members

Through monitoring the situation on cyberspace, the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention, Phu Tho Provincial Police discovered a functional food business line with signs of "exaggerating" its effects.

The Provincial Police Director has directed the Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department to establish a special project and coordinate with the Criminal Police Department, the Technical Department, and the Phu Tho Provincial Police to fight and destroy the case.

By May 14, Phu Tho Provincial Police had arrested 4 subjects for the crime of "Violating regulations on multi-level marketing" led by Tat Van Hao (born in 1977, residing at 26B, Ta Uyen Street, Quarter 4, Ward 12, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City), Lim Choon Foong, aka Nick Lim (born in 1982, Malaysian nationality, temporarily residing in room 1703, 17th floor, An Phu apartment building, Ward 11, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City), Le Ngoc My (born in 1987, residing at 19/36 Doan Thi Diem, Ward 1, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City), Voong Tu Thanh (born in 1978, residing at 11/7 Ly Thanh Tong, Tan Thoi Hoa Ward, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City).

Initial investigation results determined that in 2019, Tat Van Hao established and represented Bitney Vietnam Investment Trading Company Limited at 109, Street 22, Ward 11, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City to sell foods such as: Multi Juice mixed fruit juice; Lucenta deer placenta; Bitney Multi Cream. Afterwards, Hao and Nick Lim organized multi-level marketing of the products according to the "binary model".

At the time of its collapse, Bitney Vietnam Investment Trading Company Limited sold millions of products in a multi-level marketing system and had not been granted a Certificate of Registration for Multi-level Marketing Activities.

All products sold by the Company are priced dozens of times higher than the import price. Notably, in 2022 and 2023, the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board tested the Bitney Multi Juice product at the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene Testing and the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, Ministry of Health. The test results showed that the Bitney Multi Juice product contained the substance "Tadalafil". This is a banned substance in food production and can only be used when prescribed by a doctor.

Initially, the investigation agency temporarily seized nearly VND2 billion; 3 cars, 15 mobile phones; 7 laptops; 41,800 boxes of Multi Juice tea; 3 round seals with the names of Bitney Vietnam Investment Trading Company Limited; Bitney Vietnam Investment Trading Service Company Limited; Bitney House Company Limited; 1 Business Registration Certificate and other related documents.

This is a multi-level marketing business line with a large number of participants nationwide that was discovered and arrested by the Phu Tho Provincial Police. In particular, the line has foreigners directly involved in management, organization, and illegal profits of thousands of billions of VND. The Phu Tho Provincial Police are continuing to investigate and expand.