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On April 26, the Economic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City Police busted a ring manufacturing Emo’s branded weight‑loss dietary supplements that contained a banned substance. The operation was conducted at Ma Xuan Thanh Agro‑Product Co., Ltd., in Binh My commune, Ho Chi Minh City. The two main suspects identified as the ring leaders were Tran Thi Nhu Hao (born 1999) and her husband Nguyen Trong Anh (born 1995), both residents of Thoi An ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Earlier, on March 30, 2026, the Economic Police Department coordinated with Bình Mỹ Commune Police and local authorities to deploy multiple task forces to inspect Ma Xuan Thanh Co., Ltd. in Bình Mỹ and to distribution hubs in Ba Điểm commune (Ho Chi Minh City) and Khanh Cường (Quảng Ngãi province). At these facilities, authorities seized more than 5,200 packs of Emo’s labeled powders (including skimmed milk powder, orange tea powder, coffee powder, lemon tea powder, strawberry tea powder, peach tea powder), 639 kg of various input powders, eight production machines, and 32,950 packaging boxes with Emo’s branding. Initial investigation determined that Hao and Anh invested in equipment and labor to organize production of weight‑loss dietary supplements. In fact, the products had no efficacy, and the suspects mixed Sibutramine into input ingredients. Sibutramine suppresses appetite but has dangerous side effects such as cardiovascular effects, heart attack, arrhythmia, and high blood pressure, and is banned for use in foods. From 2018 to present, the Hao–Anh couple produced and marketed weight‑loss dietary supplements containing banned substances with an estimated value in the tens of billions of VND. In February and March 2026 alone, they produced and distributed banned‑substance‑containing dietary supplements valued at over 3.4 billion VND. On April 25, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Investigation Agency (Economic Police) issued decisions to prosecute the case and to detain Tran Thi Nhu Hao and Nguyen Trong Anh for the charge of violating food safety regulations. The case remains under ongoing investigation to determine the responsibility of organizations and individuals who assisted, distributed, or sold the products in the market for appropriate action under the law.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
