Hundreds of tons of fake dietary supplements produced at Hanoi industrial park over decade

Investigators allege that a factory operated by Medistar Vietnam Company produced and sold hundreds of tons of fake supplements nationwide over more than a decade, generating nearly VND1.8 trillion (US$68.5 million) in revenue.

On Jan. 18, Lao Cai provincial police charged Doan Trung Duc, 46, general director of Medistar Vietnam, along with five accomplices, with producing and trading counterfeit food products and food additives, as well as violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences.

Police described the ring as operating on an "exceptionally large scale" across Vietnam. The operation was inspected on Jan. 5 by Lao Cai police in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Economic Crimes and Smuggling and Hanoi police.

At a Medistar factory in Quang Minh Industrial Park in Hanoi, investigators said they discovered thousands of fake and substandard dietary supplement products being manufactured and packaged for distribution. The counterfeit items reportedly included collagen supplements, vitamins, joint health products and digestive aids.

Initial findings indicate that from 2012 to 2025, the group sold hundreds of tons of counterfeit supplements on the market, causing serious risks to consumer health and undermining consumer trust. Authorities also allege that hundreds of billions of dong were kept off the books for illicit profit, resulting in significant tax losses for the state.

Lao Cai provincial police said the investigation is ongoing and may be expanded.