Major e-cigarette smuggling ring busted in Hanoi
Vietnam prohibits all electronic cigarette-related activities, including production, trading, import, storage, transportation and use.
THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi police confirmed on July 23 the dismantling of a large-scale e-cigarette smuggling ring operating between China and Vietnam.
During an earlier raid this month, police seized 127,000 e-cigarette products, worth approximately VND40 billion (US$1.6 million).
Fifteen suspects have been charged with trading prohibited goods, including the ringleaders Phung Thi My, 34; Trinh Minh Thanh, 35; and Tran Thi Thu Hang, 35.
The three ring leaders of this case. Photos: Hanoi's police
The ring smuggled the products across the border into Vietnam, hauling them by truck to Hanoi and hiding them in warehouses before distributing them to lower-tier dealers.
The suspects marketed the products on social media and deleted posts immediately after completing transactions.
According to local authorities, this is the largest e-cigarette trafficking case ever uncovered in Hanoi.
E-cigarettes have been banned in Vietnam since January 1, 2025, as they are considered harmful to health. Besides inducing addiction, some products were found to contain narcotics. In 2023 alone, 1,224 people were hospitalized due to e-cigarette-related poisoning or illness.
In Vietnam, trading e-cigarettes could result in fines of up to VND100 million (US$7,000).
E-cigarettes confiscated by authorities.
