Police bust ring allegedly making fake Nike, Adidas, Crocs, Gucci slippers in Ho Chi Minh City

The investigation police agency under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security said on Saturday that it had prosecuted and detained Dang Phuoc Dat, 30, and his wife Vu Thi Thu Thuy, 27, along with three accomplices: Nguyen Tan Trong, 26, Vu Thanh Trung, 25, and Tran Thi Gam, 20.

All suspects have been charged with infringing industrial property rights.

Authorities said the case was uncovered during a recent citywide campaign targeting violations of intellectual property rights.

Investigators said the group organized the production and distribution of counterfeit slippers bearing international trademarks protected under Vietnamese law, with the operation allegedly led by Dat and Thuy.

In late May, a joint police task force raided two production facilities operated by the couple in the city's Phu Hoa Dong Commune, seizing more than 23,000 pairs of counterfeit slippers bearing Nike, Adidas, Crocs, and Gucci trademarks, along with large quantities of accessories, tags, raw materials, and production equipment.

The seized goods were valued at more than VND2 billion (US$76,000).

Police said the group had operated the production network since June 2025, employing 14 workers to carry out different stages of manufacturing and assembly.

Investigators added that the group distributed large volumes of counterfeit goods on the market, allegedly generating illicit profits worth tens of billions of Vietnamese dong. (VND1 billion = $38,000)

The case remains under investigation as authorities expand the probe to identify other suspects as well as suppliers and distribution channels possibly involved in the ring.