Breaking up a large-scale production and consumption of fake cosmetics using chemicals
On the evening of June 14, Tay Ninh Provincial Police informed about the destruction of a large-scale counterfeit cosmetics manufacturing and trading facility led by LTMD (born in 1991, residing in Ninh Tho quarter, Ninh Son ward, Tay Ninh city). Notably, counterfeit cosmetics were sold in markets in provinces and cities across the country.
According to the initial investigation, the Police Department of Investigation of Crimes on Corruption, Economy, and Smuggling of Tay Ninh Province Police discovered that LTMD and NTT (born in 1992, residing in Ward 4, Duong Minh Chau Town, Duong Minh Chau District) frequently went on social networks to livestream and sell cosmetics at very cheap prices. Suspecting that D. and T. might have colluded to produce and trade fake cosmetics, the Police established a special project to fight.
Through professional work, at 11:00 a.m. on June 13, Tay Ninh Provincial Police coordinated with the Provincial Market Management Department to inspect the car with license plate number: 53S -0664 driven by LVT (residing in Tam Long hamlet, Tri Binh commune, Chau Thanh district). Through inspection, the functional force discovered that the car was carrying 32 cardboard boxes containing cosmetics (mixed cream), weighing 1,200 kg, without invoices or documents proving the origin. Quickly investigating, the Police determined that the above goods belonged to D, hired T. to transport them to Ho Chi Minh City to deliver to someone else for sale.
Tay Ninh Provincial Police quickly sent a working group to inspect D.'s house and warehouse in Ninh Son Ward, Tay Ninh City. There, the police discovered two people working for D. to process and produce cosmetics. The police seized evidence including: 20 plastic barrels containing chemicals printed with foreign labels; 10 50kg bags of solid chemicals printed with foreign labels; 200kg of finished cream; 100 bottles of various chemicals containing solutions; over 8 machines for mixing and blending cosmetic creams; 3 cars and many related books, stamps, and anti-counterfeit labels...
By the time of discovery, both D. and T. had sold over 100,000 orders to consumers, earning nearly 10 billion VND. The seized exhibits were estimated at about 3.5 billion VND. During the above business activities, the subjects did not announce, register product trademarks and declare and pay taxes to the authorities.
During the investigation, D. confessed that since 2020, D. started processing, manufacturing, buying and selling fake cosmetics. The raw materials for production, D. mainly bought were flavors, chemical powders of unknown origin, alum powder, solvents floating on the market, then brought them home using the purchased machines and hired people to mix and produce. When the products were finished, D. delivered them to T. for a price of 50,000 VND to 100,000 VND/kg depending on the type of cosmetic. Next, T. hired his workers to label them and sell them on e-commerce trading floors and send them for sale via COD shipping service with a price of 200,000 VND/kg to 650,000 VND/kg.
Not giving the subjects time to conceal their crimes, Tay Ninh Police quickly sent another working group to inspect the NTT business household and seized evidence including: 13 types of cosmetics with more than 550 products and many machines and electronic devices used in the trading of fake cosmetics.
At T.'s two warehouses, the police discovered four other people processing and labeling products; many cosmetic bottles with a total weight of about 10,000 kg; 20 cardboard boxes containing many unlabeled cosmetic bottles with a total weight of 800 kg; two stamp and label printers and many boxes and cartons for packaging... All of them did not have invoices or documents proving their origin.