Vietnam police bust major ring selling untraceable jujube, goji berry products online

The economic police division of the provincial Department of Public Security said on Tuesday that it is finalizing legal proceedings against two individuals accused of producing and trading the untraceable products on TikTok Shop and Shopee.

The suspects, identified as P.B.H., 31, and D.V.C., 39, are residents of Nam Nha Trang Ward in Khanh Hoa Province.

On Friday last week, officers conducted unannounced inspections of two companies, including TAKLA Agricultural Products Trading and Services Company, managed by P.B.H., and Nhat Phap XNK Company, headed by D.V.C.

Both businesses are located in the Le Hong Phong 1 urban area in Nam Nha Trang Ward.

During the raid, officers discovered nearly 1,300 packaged food items bearing the TAKLA brand at TAKLA Agricultural Products Trading and Services Company.

The products included jujube candy stuffed with cashews and camel milk, red jujubes, herbal milk tea, pear honey, goji berries, ginger and cinnamon-infused honey, and other processed goods.

None of the items were accompanied by invoices or documentation verifying their origin.

In addition, police seized more than 250 boxes of raw materials, including jujubes and goji berries, along with machinery used for processing and packaging.

Preliminary findings indicated that C. procured the raw materials from unidentified sources and supplied them to H., who then oversaw the processing and packaging under the TAKLA label.

The finished products were marketed and sold online through some accounts such as ‘Van Nam Natural’ and ‘Takla Xinjiang Red Jujubes.’

Investigators noted that these accounts failed to comply with regulations requiring product registration, quality testing, and disclosure of ingredients.

According to police, from June 2024 until the operation was dismantled, the two suspects generated some VND6 billion (US$227,750) in illicit profits.