On the evening of October 22, the Economic Police Division (PC03) under the Hanoi Police Department announced that it had coordinated with relevant agencies to dismantle a criminal ring that illegally purchased, slaughtered, and distributed pork from pigs infected with African swine fever, posing a major health risk to consumers.

According to the investigation, in the early hours of October 14, authorities conducted a surprise inspection and caught red-handed Bui Thi Hoai Phuong (born 1988) and her husband Pham Van Dong (born 1983), residents of Thanh Tri hamlet, Phu Nghia commune, Hanoi, slaughtering and preparing pork suspected to be from diseased pigs.

At the police station, the couple admitted that they had been in the business of buying live pigs, slaughtering them, and selling the meat to local vendors at traditional markets and to several companies that provide meals for factory workers.

Since the beginning of 2025, driven by profit, Phuong and Dong had regularly purchased weak, sick, and even dead pigs from farms in Hanoi and Hoa Binh for around 25,000 VND/kg (approx. 1 USD), while healthy pigs typically sell for 60,000 VND/kg (approx. 2.40 USD).

Authorities searched a meat stall at Xuan Mai Market and the couple’s private residence, where they discovered 837 kg of pork and internal organs emitting a foul odor and suspected to be contaminated with the African swine fever virus.

Further investigation led to Le Phu Hiep (born 1973), a resident of Yen Lac hamlet, Hoa Phu commune, Hanoi, identified as the source of the diseased pigs. A raid on his farm revealed 723 pigs infected with African swine fever, with a combined weight of approximately 60 tons.

Hiep admitted that although he was aware the pigs were infected, he did not report it to authorities out of fear of financial loss. Instead, he secretly sold the pigs to Dong for slaughter and market distribution.

The Hanoi Police Department has filed criminal charges against Pham Van Dong, Bui Thi Hoai Phuong, and Le Phu Hiep. All three have been indicted and are under investigation in accordance with the law.

All 723 infected pigs have been transferred to Hanoi’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services for disposal in order to prevent further disease spread.

PC03 is continuing to expand its investigation to clarify the roles and responsibilities of all individuals involved.

Tien Dung