Nguyen Tuan Linh, 37, Pham Minh Giang, 38, Chu Bich Ngoc, 38, and three others are under investigation for "smuggling" and "violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences," police announced Tuesday.
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Four main suspects of an N2O smuggling ring at a police station in Hanoi. Photo by the police |
The suspects established DCMC Vietnam Trading Co. Ltd., based in Hanoi’s Nam Tu Liem District, to exploit loopholes in import procedures for nitrous oxide, also known as "laughing gas." They filed 364 import declarations falsely labeling the gas as a food additive.
The goods, sourced from foreign suppliers, were transported via Hai Phong and Lao Cai in northern Vietnam and stored in facilities in Hung Yen and Bac Ninh provinces near Hanoi.
Police estimate over 7,330 tons of nitrous oxide were imported, valued at more than US$5 million.
The group sold the gas to businesses supplying bars, pubs, and nightclubs, evading taxes and causing nearly VND24 billion ($1 million) in losses to the state.
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Tanks of N2O confiscated by the police. Photo by the police |
Authorities have confiscated evidence, including VND30 billion and $9,300 in cash.
While nitrous oxide is used medically as an anesthetic, abuse as a recreational drug poses serious health risks, including damage to the nervous and cardiovascular systems, addiction, and even death. Though not classified as a narcotic in Vietnam, its misuse has significant consequences, particularly among young people.