Couple indicted for allegedly selling fake Gucci, Hermès, Rolex goods at Ho Chi Minh City store
Police in Ho Chi Minh City have indicted a couple accused of selling counterfeit products bearing luxury brand names including Gucci, Hermès, and Rolex after investigators uncovered thousands of suspected fake items and alleged illicit profits totaling nearly US$171,000 from early 2024.
A police officer in Ho Chi Minh City reads out a prosecution decision to On Chi Phat and his wife Nguyen Thanh My (L, 2nd and 3rd), who are accused of selling counterfeit goods infringing industrial property rights involving well-known international trademarks. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security
The couple, On Chi Phat and his wife Nguyen Thanh My, are facing charges of infringing industrial property rights, with Phat in temporary detention, the investigation police agency under the municipal Department of Public Security said on Saturday.
The crackdown was part of a 45-day enforcement campaign launched under the direction of the director of the department.
On May 12, a joint inspection team comprising police and market surveillance forces inspected Chi Phat Luxury, a retail store owned by the couple, located at 166 Trieu Quang Phuc Street in Cho Lon Ward.
During the inspection, authorities discovered a large volume of products suspected of being counterfeit, bearing well-known international trademarks protected in Vietnam, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Dior, Hermes, and Rolex.
Watches infringing intellectual property rights involving international trademarks are found at Chi Phat Luxury, a retail store at 166 Trieu Quang Phuc Street in Cho Lon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
Investigators said the establishment's owner failed to provide invoices or documents proving the lawful origin of the goods.
Authorities seized 1,913 items, including clothing, footwear, handbags, watches, and other products, with a total value exceeding VND1.079 billion ($40,900), for verification.
A later assessment by the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam under the Ministry of Science and Technology concluded that all seized items across 17 product categories were counterfeit goods that infringed trademarks protected under Vietnam’s Law on Intellectual Property.
Counterfeit footwear bearing international trademarks is displayed at Chi Phat Luxury, a retail store at 166 Trieu Quang Phuc Street in Cho Lon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
According to initial investigations, from early 2021 through May 2026, Phat and My allegedly organized the purchase of counterfeit products through contacts on social media.
The products were then reportedly sold directly at the store and through online channels including Facebook, Zalo, and TikTok for illicit profit.
T-shirts infringing intellectual property rights involving international trademarks are detected at Chi Phat Luxury, a retail store at 166 Trieu Quang Phuc Street in Cho Lon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
According to electronic data, bank account statements, and accounting records, the couple had earned more than VND4.5 billion ($171,000) in illicit profits from early 2024 to the time of the crackdown, investigators said.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to expand the case and trace other individuals who may be involved.
Vinh Tho - Dan Thuan / Tuoi Tre News