Dismantling a ring of counterfeit money and documents production and circulation

On September 11, information from Quang Ninh Provincial Police said that the Investigation Security Agency of Quang Ninh Provincial Police has just prosecuted and detained 9 subjects to investigate the act of producing and circulating counterfeit money and fake documents in many provinces and cities nationwide.

Previously, through the investigation, Quang Ninh Provincial Police discovered information related to two young men circulating counterfeit money at several locations in Ha Long City, who fled when discovered by local people. Through professional measures, the investigation agency identified the two young men as Nguyen Xuan Thiep and Phan Manh Hung (both born in 2005, residing in Gieng Day Ward, Ha Long City).

During the investigation, Thiep and Hung confessed that they bought fake Vietnamese money through Facebook and sold it at several locations in Ha Long and Cam Pha cities. The source of the fake money was that Thiep and Hung went online to buy it from the Facebook account “Tran Hoai Nam”; the delivery person had a Zalo name of “Trung Anh td” in VSIP Industrial Park (Bac Ninh).

Continuing to investigate and track down the ring of buying, selling and consuming counterfeit money via the internet, the investigation agency has clarified a group of subjects in many different provinces and cities, renting locations in Hanoi, using specialized equipment and machinery to produce and make counterfeit money, counterfeiting documents of agencies and organizations (fake diplomas, fake land use right certificates, fake citizen identification cards, etc.); then, through social networks, advertising to find people who want to buy and consume.

The mastermind and leader of the above group of subjects is Nguyen Van Dai (born in 1994, address Yen Nghia, Y Yen, Nam Dinh); Hong Tuan Thanh (born in 2003, in Y Yen, Nam Dinh); Le Ba Toan (born in 1993, address Neo street, Nam Giang, Tho Xuan, Thanh Hoa; has a criminal record for "Forgery of documents of organizations") and a number of other accomplices.

Dai rented a house in Ngoc Hoi, Thanh Tri, Hanoi; bought machinery and equipment to make counterfeit money. Toan was the one who instructed Dai and Thanh on how to make counterfeit money. Once the money was produced, Toan looked for customers to sell it. Toan hired Hoang Trung Hoa (born in 1997), address Dai Dong, Tien Du, Bac Ninh, and Vi Van Ninh (born in 2003), address Dai Dong, Tien Du, Bac Ninh, to deliver the counterfeit money to customers.

Among Toan's customers who bought counterfeit money were Nguyen Xuan Thiep and Phan Manh Hung (address in Gieng Day, Quang Ninh). Toan directed Hoa and Ninh to deliver 7 million VND in counterfeit Vietnamese currency to Thiep and Hung in Bac Ninh; then Thiep and Hung brought it back to Quang Ninh to sell.

Based on the investigation results, the Investigation Security Agency of Quang Ninh Province Police has initiated a criminal case and arrested 9 subjects for related crimes. During the investigation, 40,500,000 VND of counterfeit Vietnamese currency, denominations of 500,000 VND; many fake documents (fake diplomas, fake citizen identification cards, etc.) and many machines and equipment in the counterfeit money production line (computers, USBs, 3D color printers, plastic laminators used to produce counterfeit money, etc.), many other objects and documents were seized.