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Authorities in Thanh Hóa have prosecuted three individuals over the slaughter and sale of pigs infected with African swine fever (ASF), after an inspection uncovered diseased animals and meat testing positive for the virus.
According to the investigation, Nguyen Van Chien (born 1984, resident of Hamlet 5, Hoang Loc commune) purchased diseased pigs from Le Van Trung (born 1982, resident of Dong Anh Vinh hamlet, Hoang Loc commune). Although aware the pigs were ill, Trung bought them at a low price and resold them for profit.
Traceability indicated the pigs were supplied by Nguyen Khac Nguyen (born 1966, residing in Hien Thon, Hoang Hóa commune). When signs of illness appeared in the herd, Nguyen did not report to authorities and instead attempted to sell the animals to avoid losses.
On 31 March 2026, the Economic Police Department of Thanh Hóa Province Police, in cooperation with Hoang Loc Commune police, conducted a surprise inspection of a pig slaughter facility in Hamlet 3, Hoang Loc, owned by Nguyen Van Chien.
During the inspection, authorities found three slaughtered pigs with a total weight of 384.5 kg and eight live pigs kept in a pen showing signs of disease. In interviews with police, Chien admitted that he had detected the pigs were refusing to eat and moving slowly, but still ordered them to be slaughtered for sale. He also continued importing more diseased pigs at low prices to profit.
Tests conducted by the National Center for Diagnosis and Veterinary Testing I determined that meat and blood samples tested positive for the African swine fever virus.
Authorities detained and destroyed all the meat and the eight diseased pigs.
At the investigation, Nguyen Van Chien, Le Van Trung, and Nguyen Khac Nguyen admitted the violations.
On 28 April 2026, Thanh Hóa Provincial Police issued a decision to prosecute the case, indicting the three suspects for the crime of “Violating food safety regulations” under Article 317 of the Penal Code.
Police urged organizations and individuals involved in farming, slaughtering, and meat processing to strictly avoid compromising ethics for profit. For consumers, they advised increased vigilance—choosing foods with clear origin and safety testing, and rejecting unlabelled or illicit products due to potentially severe and long-lasting consequences.
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