Former Vietnam Food Administration Head Arrested in Major Counterfeit Supplement Scandal

Photo: VN Express

Nguyen Thanh Phong, former head of the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA), has been arrested alongside four former subordinates for allegedly accepting bribes in a massive counterfeit dietary supplement scandal. The Ministry of Public Security's Anti-Corruption Police Department (C03) announced the prosecution of Phong, along with Dinh Quang Minh, director of the Center for Food Safety Application and Training, Nguyen Thi Minh Hai, the deputy director, specialist Le Thi Hien, and Cao Van Trung, deputy head of the food poisoning surveillance department.

While Hai is currently under house arrest, the other four have been detained. Phong, who served two terms as head of the VFA from 2015 until the end of last year, was responsible for advising the health minister and enforcing food safety regulations.

Their arrests stem from a larger investigation into Nguyen Nang Manh, CEO of MegaPhaco and Chairman of MEDIUSA, who is accused of producing hundreds of tons of counterfeit dietary supplements. C03 reports that Manh distributed fake supplements by bribing inspection teams from the VFA for favorable reports, guidance on fixing violations, and extra compliance time.

The officials are also charged with wrongfully approving manufacturing certifications for operations related to MediPhar and MEDIUSA's factories and issuing product registration certificates for Manh's enterprises. Manh and others have been arrested for producing and trading counterfeit products and violating accounting laws.

Investigations reveal that Manh's group used low-quality or traceability-lacking raw materials, some imported from China, while falsely labeling products as imported from the U.S. or Europe. Testing showed actual ingredient amounts were often below 30% of what was claimed on labels.

Since 2016, Manh and his accomplices set up several companies to legitimize the production and sale of fake supplements, mainly targeting elderly and child demographics. The counterfeiting covered the entire process from raw material import to distribution. To evade taxes, the group maintained dual accounting records, one for internal use and another for tax authorities, leading to significant unreported government losses.

Upon learning of the investigation, efforts were made to destroy evidence, close factories, and escape. However, police raids uncovered 100 tons of counterfeit supplements. This case highlights severe breaches in regulation enforcement and a significant corruption problem within the dietary supplement industry in Vietnam. The government is expected to take further legal actions as investigations continue.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from VN Express 2025-05-14