Diseased pork supplied to 26 schools in Hanoi: police

The information was disclosed by Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Hoang Yen, deputy head of the Hanoi police department's economic police unit, during a Monday press briefing.

According to investigators, Nguyen Thi Hien rented slaughtering facilities at the Van Phuc slaughterhouse in Nam Phu Commune, Hanoi to process pigs.

She coordinated with Do Van Thanh, who collected diseased pigs from the northern provinces of Phu Tho and Tuyen Quang.

Authorities said Thanh and his associates collected 50-60 diseased pigs daily and delivered them to the Hanoi-based slaughterhouse.

After slaughtering, Hien sold the pork to Cuong Phat Food Co., Ltd., which handled cutting, processing, packaging, and labeling.

Investigators said the company labeled the products as ‘clean pork’ and attached QR codes indicating traceable origins, creating the appearance of legitimate, safe products.

The processed pork was then distributed to multiple businesses, including Hanoi Industrial Catering Services JSC, Khanh Ngoc Food Trading Co., Ltd., Huong Son Food JSC, Gia An Catering Services Co., Ltd., and various vendors at wholesale markets.

“Since the beginning of this year, the suspects have distributed approximately 3,600 pigs, equivalent to about 300 metric tons of diseased pork, to the market,” Lieutenant Colonel Yen said.

“These products were supplied to kitchens at 26 elementary schools and several private preschools in Hanoi and neighboring provinces.”

Investigators said the network used falsified documentation to conceal the origin of the diseased animals.

Thanh allegedly colluded with Vu Kim Tuan, a veterinary official in Phu Tho who issued quarantine certificates containing false information about shipment ownership and quantities, enabling contaminated pork to pass inspection checkpoints and reach the market.

Since January, Tuan had issued 126 fraudulent quarantine certificates for Thanh and his accomplices.

Lieutenant Colonel Yen said the investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to trace the supply chain, collect evidence, recover assets, and clarify the roles of those involved in the illegal operation.

The list of schools that received the contaminated pork is still under verification.