Vietnam Durian Scandal: 21 Charged, Deputy Minister Arrested

According to Vietnamese media reports, an investigation into violations related to Vietnam’s durian exports to China has resulted in at least 21 individuals being prosecuted. On the evening of July 28, the news portal of Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security reported that the Police Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security had initiated criminal proceedings and temporarily detained four suspects on charges including receiving bribes and forging official documents.

The investigation focuses on the Center for Testing, Certification and Quality Services, NhoNho Technology Co. Ltd., Thuy Fruit Co. Ltd., and other organizations and individuals involved in Vietnam’s durian export activities to China.

The investigation found that Hoang Trung, Vietnam’s current Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, and Nguyen Quang Hieu, deputy director general of the Plant Protection Department, had abused their positions and authority by issuing unlawful policies.

There are indications that they granted sub-licenses to serve vested interests and obtained substantial personal profits. They are also alleged to have interfered with and instructed subordinates to issue fraudulent inspection certificates and planting area codes, as well as to facilitate the illegal trading of planting area codes and packing facility codes.

Meanwhile, individuals from numerous testing institutions and enterprises are under investigation for suspected involvement in bribery, accepting bribes, acting as intermediaries, trading inspection certificates and violating accounting regulations.

Based on the investigation findings and the documents and evidence collected, Vietnamese police have initiated criminal proceedings and arrested and detained Hoang and Nguyen on charges of receiving bribes under Article 354 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code.

Nguyen Thi Ha, director of the No. 7 Regional Quarantine Division under the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, and Be Thi Thu Hien, head of the Huu Nghi Quarantine Station in Lang Son province, have been charged with forging official documents under Article 359 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code.

In an interview with Vietnamese media, Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that irregularities involving the falsification of planting area codes and packing facility codes had emerged since Vietnamese durians began being exported to China through official channels.

In 2022, the General Administration of Customs of China approved only around 3,000 hectares of durian-growing area in Vietnam for export to China, with an estimated annual production capacity of approximately 68,000 metric tons. However, the volume of durians registered by companies for export reached as high as 1.3 million metric tons. This significant discrepancy between the approved cultivation area and the declared export volume has raised concerns that relevant regulations may have been abused.

Dang Phuc Nguyen stated that even during the rapid growth of Vietnam’s durian exports in 2022 and 2023, the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association repeatedly received feedback from companies regarding the leasing, borrowing or trading of planting area codes and packing facility codes. The issue arose because some companies had production projects but had not obtained the required codes, while others held approved codes but were not fully utilizing them.

As of May 2025, China had approved 1,396 planting area codes and 188 packing facility codes for Vietnam. However, between January 2025 and May 2026 alone, 403 planting area codes and 240 packing facility codes were flagged by Chinese authorities as non-compliant due to violations of relevant requirements.

As of the end of June of this year, 30 laboratories in Vietnam had been accredited by Chinese authorities to conduct testing for cadmium, while 31 laboratories had been accredited for auramine O testing. Additionally, 37 other institutions were qualified to perform one or both types of testing.

As early as Nov. 5, 2025, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security announced that criminal proceedings had been initiated against 17 defendants in the first phase of the case. Seven of them were charged with receiving bribes, including Tran Dang Ninh, director of Retaq Company; Hoang Ba Nghi, chairman of the board of directors of NhoNho Technology Co. Ltd.; Dinh Hoang Thien, director of NhoNho; Le Sy Nghi, director of the testing center at NhoNho; Nguyen Truong, deputy director of the testing center; Vu Duc Hai, director of Scitech Joint Stock Company; and another individual.

Image: Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.