Police crack down on counterfeit traditional herbal medicine production rings.

Criminals have increasingly undermined consumer trust by posing as traditional medicine doctors, advertising “ancestral remedies,” and claiming they can completely cure diseases. In April 2026, police in multiple provinces and municipalities repeatedly disrupted counterfeit medicine operations that used sophisticated methods to evade oversight.

Nghe An: Case filed for producing and trading counterfeit medicines

On April 15, the Economic Police Department of Nghe An Province filed a case, charged and ordered the temporary detention of Nguyen Duy Son (born 1987, resident of Truong Vinh Ward, Nghe An) for producing and trading counterfeit medicines.

Investigations found that Son and his family had no expertise or training in producing traditional herbal medicines. Authorities said the products were sourced via social networks, then relabeled and falsely advertised to generate profit. From 2025 until his arrest, Son sold nearly 1,000 counterfeit bottles.

Promotion tactics used to attract consumers

To market his products, Son carried a spray paint can and traveled along National Highway 1A across several provinces, spraying the phrase “100% relief from asthma” along with the phone number 0366.666.206 on prominent surfaces such as walls, billboards, and traffic signs.

He also used social networks including Zalo and Facebook to post misleading claims, such as “Cured asthma completely after 30 days, 100%,” “Traditional herbal medicine by Mr. Co passed down,” and “Completely from natural herbs, cured asthma 100% with no side effects for everyone,” to build consumer trust.

Evidence seized

During searches, police found nearly 200 bottles of asthma medicines in Son’s bedroom. The bottles were labeled with claims including “Asthma medicine, traditional herbal medicine for asthma treatment, preservative-free – no side effects – completely from herbs,” along with many related items.

Forensic findings

According to a forensic assessment by the Institute of Criminal Science under the Ministry of Public Security, the medicines contained pharmaceutical components including dexamethasone and chlorpheniramine. These substances are prohibited in the production and sale of health supplements under Circular No. 10/2021/TT-BYT dated 30 June 2021.

Hung Yen: Online counterfeit medicine ring disrupted

Earlier on the afternoon of April 14, Hung Yen Police coordinated to break up an online case involving the production and distribution of counterfeit medicines. Authorities charged Nguyen Van Hai (born 1991, residing in Bac Tien Hung, Hung Yen) and two others with “Fraud.”

Through surveillance and online intelligence, police identified four Facebook pages operating under Hai’s direction: Đông Y Gia Truyền - Ông Hiền, Điều Trị Vẩy nến - Đông Y Ông Hiền, Ông Hiền - Đặc Trị Các Bệnh Ngoài Da, and Ông Hiền - Da Liễu Số 1 Thái Bình.

Police said the pages were used to create content claiming to be traditional medicine doctors with a four-generation herbal remedy for skin conditions, while promising complete cures.

Authorities’ warning

Police urged the public to exercise caution when purchasing and using medicines. They recommended choosing products with clear origin and licensed by competent authorities, and consulting a physician before use.