Nearly 4 tonnes of food products of unknown origin seized in Vietnam ahead of Tet

The haul, weighing a total of 3,790 kilograms, included 2,506 kilograms of sausages and 1,284 kilograms of other food items such as squid paste, lobsters, red snails and dumplings.

The seizure was made after the provincial economic police division, in coordination with a market management team, conducted an unannounced inspection of a food storage facility in Mong Cai 1 Ward, an officer said on Wednesday.

The warehouse was owned by Le Hai Minh, 25.

During the inspection, officers discovered 110 cardboard boxes containing sausages and 133 boxes holding various seafood and processed food products.

At the time of the inspection, Minh failed to show any invoices or documents proving the origin or legality of the entire shipment.

He admitted that he had purchased the food from multiple individuals at several markets in the former Mong Cai City and intended to sell it during the 2026 Lunar New Year, when demand for food typically surges, in order to make a profit.

Further checks revealed that Minh had not been granted a business license, nor had he obtained a certificate confirming that his operation met food safety requirements as stipulated by law.

As such, officers seized all related food items for further investigation.