According to the provincial police, after a long period of investigation, verification, and evidence collection, officers from the Investigation Security Agency and the Internal Political Security Division successfully cracked the case known as Project CT288.

Police carried out urgent searches at two locations linked to Hoang Minh Duong Company Limited, directed by Hoang Van Toan (born 1986), a resident of Ba Thuoc Commune in Thanh Hoa.

At a drug production site in Area 1 of Ba Thuoc Commune and a clinic located at 31-33 Khuat Duy Tien Street in Thanh Xuan Ward, Hanoi, authorities seized machinery and materials used to process and manufacture herbal products.

Investigators also collected numerous documents and records containing customer information, consultation scripts, as well as computers and mobile phones believed to be connected to fraudulent activities.

According to the investigation, the network was led by Hoang Van Toan and Le Dinh Tien (born 1996), also from Ba Thuoc Commune.

In 2016, Toan enrolled in an online course on traditional medicine. After completing the program in 2018, he contacted Hoang Thi Nhung (born 1987), who lived in the same commune, to learn at her traditional medicine clinic.

During that time, Toan and Nhung learned about a person in Thai Nguyen Province who possessed a remedy for joint disorders. They approached the individual to request the formula and were eventually allowed to learn it.

After acquiring only partial knowledge of the remedy, Toan began mixing herbal ingredients according to his own ideas and branded the product as “Hoang Minh Duong joint herbal compress”.

He later collaborated with Le Dinh Tien to run advertising campaigns and promotional activities.

In July 2024, after establishing Hoang Minh Duong Company Limited, Toan organized several departments including raw material procurement and medicine production, medical examination and treatment at the clinic, online consultations through social media platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, and TikTok, as well as marketing, administration, human resources, and legal advisory units.

To build trust with patients, the group spread misleading information, claiming that the “Hoang Minh Duong joint herbal compress” was a family remedy passed down through three generations.

During consultations and examinations, they promised patients a complete cure and guaranteed that the treatment would address the root cause of joint diseases.

Data extracted from the group’s online sales tracking software showed that between 2023 and 2025, the network processed nearly 87,000 orders.

Authorities determined that the operation generated illegal profits exceeding VND227 billion (US$9.2 million).

Based on the investigation results, the Investigation Security Agency of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police has initiated criminal proceedings and formally charged Hoang Van Toan, Le Dinh Tien, and ten other suspects with the offense of fraud and appropriation of property.

The case is continuing to be expanded as investigators pursue further leads.

Le Duong