Hanoi police bust fake electric scooter manufacturing ring

An officer said on Friday that the police division for economic crimes had filed charges against three individuals for allegedly manufacturing and selling electric scooters designed to imitate genuine brands.

The operation came to light on June 16, when the division, in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Surveillance and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, launched inspections into several electric scooter showrooms suspected of violations in Hanoi and neighboring Bac Ninh Province.

For further investigation, officers continued to inspect a motorcycle production facility in Bac Ninh Province, discovering more than 100 electric scooters lacking valid invoices and legal documentation.

These scooters bore fake brand markings and false origin labels, valued at over VND1 billion (US$48,000).

Besides, the police seized various machines and production equipment used to manufacture the counterfeit vehicles.

Initial findings revealed that the suspects fabricated documentation in an attempt to legitimize the origin and brand of the illegally produced scooters.

This deceptive strategy enabled them to evade regulatory oversight, avoid taxation, and mislead consumers into believing they were purchasing authentic, legally certified products.

Police said the group had meticulously gathered information on popular electric scooter models before setting up a manufacturing line in Bac Ninh Province to replicate them.

Once assembled, the counterfeit scooters were sold to retail shops in Hanoi, accompanied by forged documents to give the appearance of legality.