The Economic Police Division under Ho Chi Minh City Police has launched criminal proceedings and detained Le Thi Thuy Trang, born in 1977 and residing in An Lac ward, along with six accomplices, on charges of “causing environmental pollution” and “illegal trading of invoices.”

According to investigators, Trang is identified as the mastermind behind a particularly large-scale environmental crime network. Through professional surveillance and area management, the Environmental Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security uncovered her central role and initiated a dedicated investigation in coordination with the Economic Police Department and Ho Chi Minh City Police.

Authorities found that, to conceal operations, Trang did not directly register companies under her own name. Instead, she hired individuals to act as legal representatives for four firms, including Thinh Phat Environmental Services and Trading Company, Thinh Phat Environmental Services Company, An Binh Transport, and Dat Xanh Mien Nam Environment Company.

Under her direction, these companies approached businesses in sectors such as textile dyeing, leather processing, paper production and seafood processing, offering waste treatment services at unusually low prices. With valid licenses and environmental functions, the network was able to secure numerous high-value contracts.

However, instead of transporting waste to treatment facilities in accordance with regulations, Trang instructed subordinates to carry out staged procedures.

Collected waste was transported directly to remote areas in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Thap and Tay Ninh, where it was illegally dumped or buried under the guise of land leveling, with each trip carrying approximately 25 to 30 tons. In some cases, waste was temporarily stored at warehouses belonging to Dat Xanh Mien Nam to evade inspections before being dumped at night.

To legitimize financial flows and avoid scrutiny from tax authorities, Trang purchased hundreds of fraudulent value-added tax invoices from Thanh Lap Company, paying fees ranging from 3.2 to 6 percent of the total value.

Forensic assessments by the Institute of Criminal Science under the Ministry of Public Security determined that more than 20,160 tons of sludge, coal ash and stone powder discharged by the group were untreated solid waste, posing serious harm to the environment.

Following a prolonged investigation, in late March 2026, nearly 100 officers from the Environmental Police Department, in coordination with other units under the Ministry of Public Security and Ho Chi Minh City Police, simultaneously conducted urgent searches at six locations.

At the scene, authorities seized more than US$50,000, nearly VND2 billion (US$82,000) in cash, dozens of land use right certificates, and a large volume of documents and accounting records linked to the illegal activities. A total of 23 individuals were brought in for questioning to support the investigation.

Investigators have so far identified 11 sites where the network carried out illegal dumping, with a total volume exceeding 20,160 tons of solid waste.

The case remains under expanded investigation to clarify the responsibilities of waste-generating businesses and other related individuals.

The Environmental Police Department has urged enterprises to exercise caution in selecting reputable waste treatment providers, warning that illegal dumping and land filling for profit will be strictly handled in accordance with the law to protect the living environment.