Seventeen people have been indicted in connection with widespread violations in the export of durians to China. Despite repeated “urgent warnings” from authorities and industry associations, fraud involving planting area codes and quality certification documents persisted, damaging Vietnam’s agricultural reputation.

The Ministry of Public Security’s Department of Economic, Corruption, and Smuggling Crime Investigation announced on November 3 the indictment of 17 individuals in a sweeping investigation into bribery, falsification of records, and abuse of authority for personal gain.

The case involves the Center for Testing, Verification, and Quality Services (Retaq), NhoNho Technology Co., Ltd., Thuy Fruits Co., Ltd., and other related entities. Among the accused are several business executives.

Investigators discovered numerous irregularities in Vietnam’s durian export chain to China, including the illegal trading of planting area codes and falsified quality certificates. These violations also involved serious accounting irregularities.

Such actions have caused significant financial losses to the state, undermined legitimate businesses, and led to the export of durians that did not meet required standards. As a result, the integrity and competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products, especially durian, have been severely compromised.

Since the signing of a protocol allowing official durian exports to China, the industry has boomed. In 2024, durian exports generated $3.2 billion, making it the highest-earning fruit in Vietnam’s horticultural sector.

In the first nine months of 2025, exports reached $2.77 billion, with China accounting for 93.6% of the total value.

However, accessing this massive market requires strict compliance with regulations, including approved planting area codes, certified packing facilities, and test results proving safety from yellow O and cadmium contaminants. All must be certified by China’s General Administration of Customs.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has warned that any violation could result in revoked planting area codes, invalid lab accreditations, and even a full export ban.

Despite repeated alerts, fraudulent practices have continued.

In late 2024, the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit) issued an emergency notice condemning the rampant forgery and unauthorized replication of planting area and packing facility codes used for durian exports.

These scams often involved fake authorization contracts, counterfeit stamps, and forged signatures, all aimed at deceiving businesses and bypassing regulatory controls for illegal profits.

Vinafruit called for stricter inspections of packing facilities, harsher penalties for violations, and closer coordination with importing authorities to prevent trade fraud.

In mid-May 2025, the President of the Dak Lak Durian Association sent a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, warning that many labs authorized to test for yellow O and cadmium had their licenses revoked by Chinese authorities. This disruption severely affected exporters’ ability to certify shipments.

At the same time, the Prime Minister issued an urgent directive demanding a full investigation into the falsification of planting area and packing codes, fake export documents, and all other legal violations in the durian trade.

A senior official from the Plant Protection Department (now the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection) admitted that due to such violations, hundreds of planting area codes were revoked by Chinese authorities.

As of May 21, after revoking invalid codes, Vietnam retained 1,469 certified durian planting areas and 188 packing facilities authorized for export to China.

Additionally, 24 testing labs in Vietnam remained recognized by China, with a combined capacity of 3,200 samples per day.

However, in late October, nearly 2,000 containers of durians from Dak Lak were left stranded at warehouses and border gates due to lab shutdowns for maintenance.

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha ordered an urgent investigation to determine the cause of the testing disruption and assign responsibility to relevant organizations and individuals.

Durian has now become a “billion-dollar fruit” for Vietnam, providing farmers with stable incomes and even the potential for wealth. But sustainable growth demands a more disciplined and professional industry approach.

The indictment of 17 individuals in the durian export scandal is seen as a serious wake-up call to those engaging in deceptive practices in agricultural trade.

Authorities are continuing to build the case, collect evidence, and expand the investigation to uncover any organized schemes and fully prosecute those responsible.

Tam An