Ho Chi Minh City Police has announced the implementation of a strategic plan aimed at strengthening the prevention, management, and handling of legal violations related to the trade of dangerous and toxic chemicals.

This initiative was driven by the ongoing issues in the management and trade of hazardous chemicals, particularly cyanide, where significant loopholes and oversights were observed both at commercial establishments and online platforms.

To date, the Ho Chi Minh City Police have investigated and prosecuted five cases involving 17 individuals for offenses related to the “Illegal trade and possession of toxic substances.” Authorities have seized 9,488.5 kg of cyanide, 315 kg of sulfuric acid, 105 kg of hydrochloric acid, and numerous other items of evidence.

From these cases, the police traced the distribution chains of cyanide across 11 provinces, retrieving more than 318.5 kg of illegally traded cyanide.

A notable case involved information from VTV, where Binh Thanh District Police uncovered a group exploiting their positions and the lax management of business owners to trade large volumes of cyanide. Ngo Thi Nhu Hue, Head of Sales at Nam Phuong Chemical Co., Ltd., forged sales contracts with partners to divert cyanide, selling approximately 2.55 tons to dozens of clients across various provinces, profiting illicitly around 380 million VND.

Nguyen Duc Thanh Huy purchased cyanide from Hue and sold it to 326 customers across nine provinces, earning over 250 million VND in illegal profits.

In mid-September, Binh Thanh District Police discovered a woman had taken her life at home using cyanide. During the investigation, the authorities arrested Phan Minh Trung (34, residing in Binh Chanh District), who had supplied the substance.

Following Trung's statements, the police apprehended additional suspects, including Nguyen Thanh Tai (30), Ha Van Viet (41, both from District 7), and Khuc Van Hieu (36, residing in Tan Phu District).

This group set up three companies, all of which were licensed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade. However, they diverted the imported cyanide for unauthorized sale. The police raided three companies in Ho Chi Minh City and Long An, seizing 3,950 kg of cyanide.

Leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Police directed its specialized units, along with district police and Thu Duc City authorities, to conduct comprehensive inspections, targeting businesses, households, and suspects involved in the trade of hazardous and toxic chemicals. One focal point of these efforts was the Kim Bien Chemical Market in District 5.

In late September, seven task forces from the Ho Chi Minh City Police, in coordination with District 5 Police, carried out simultaneous inspections of 21 chemical trading locations in the Kim Bien area, discovering and seizing 433 plastic containers filled with cyanide, 179 kg of cyanide, and eight jars of toxic potassium gold cyanide (62.8%).

Authorities found multiple violations, including the trading of chemicals without invoices or certificates of origin, unlicensed sales, and other irregularities.

As a result, District 5 Police have prosecuted three cases involving the “Illegal possession and sale of toxic substances,” related to branches of Tien Phat Co., the Diep Xi electroplating business, and the Ngan Loi trading household, indicting six individuals.