6 tons of Chinese sweets labeled as Japanese, Korean brands in Vietnam

By Pham Du May 30, 2025 | 06:00 pm PT

A Chinese candy package falsely labeled as a Japanese brand. Photo by Linh Dan

A Hanoi man is facing charges for selling counterfeit candy by repackaging Chinese sweets in fake "Made in Japan" and "Made in Korea" wrappers, police said.

Nguyen Viet Cuong, 38, allegedly purchased six tons of Chinese bulk candy and disguised them using packaging falsely labeled with foreign origins and fabricated expiration dates, Hanoi police said on May 28.

Cuong has since been recommended to be prosecuted for producing fake food products.

Police said Cuong noticed high demand for foreign-looking sweets in La Phu Commune in 2024, and saw a business opportunity ahead of the Tet holiday. Through Facebook, he connected with an unidentified woman who supplied candy and pre-printed packaging with fake Japanese and Korean branding, including bogus importer names.

Cuong repackaged the products at a facility in La Phu Industrial Park, using a printer to stamp fake expiration dates on each wrapper. The materials were cheap: VND300,000 ($12) for a 10-kilogram box of candy and VND100,000 ($4) per kilogram of packaging.

Between November 2024 and his arrest, Cuong is accused of producing 25,150 counterfeit candy packages, selling around 1,500. Authorities seized more than 23,600 packages, valued at approximately VND429 million ($16,900).