Seized cartons of fake medicines and supplements – PHOTO: TNO

The ring was co-led by Nguyen Dinh Lac Thu, deputy director of Asia Pharmacy Co., Ltd, based in the city’s District 7, and Le Van Khoi, director of Dong Duoc Viet Pharmaceutical Company, according to Thanh Nien newspaper.

After a long surveillance period, the municipal police on July 25 arrested Nguyen Thanh Tuan, 47, residing in the outlying district of Binh Chanh, catching him in the act of transporting 20 cartons of fake supplements, bearing the labels of many popular brands, to a house on Hoa Binh Street in District 11.

The police searched the house and discovered Tran Thi Thanh Chau, 37, and Thach Det, 27, were producing fake supplements.

Raids were conducted at seven more sites, including companies, warehouses and household businesses in Binh Tan, Tan Phu, Tan Binh and Binh Chanh districts, seizing over 500 cartons of fake supplements, equipment and hundreds of kilograms of materials to make fake medicines and supplements, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper.

The drugs are mainly supplements for hair growth and multivitamins for men and women, with a total product value of billions of Vietnamese dong.

According to investigators, the fake-drug ringleaders are greatly experienced in producing and selling counterfeit medicines, adding that their illegal, cunning operations were conducted under the cover of pharmaceutical firms.

The city’s police are launching an expanding probe into the case. SGT