On September 11, 2025, Da Nang’s Economic Police Department announced the dismantling of one of the most elaborate counterfeit edible bird’s nest operations ever uncovered in Vietnam. The investigation, months in the making, culminated in the arrest of two alleged ringleaders: Nguyen Thanh Truong, 36, from Hai Phong City, and Nguyen Ngoc Chau, 38, from Da Nang. The pair now face charges for producing and selling counterfeit food products—a crime that, in this case, has deceived thousands of unsuspecting consumers across the country.
According to reports from Bao Lao Cai and the official Da Nang City Police, the operation was anything but amateur. Since 2023, Truong had methodically established two companies in Da Nang. While paperwork listed Chau and Chau’s sister as the legal representatives, it was Truong who managed every aspect behind the scenes. The real twist? These companies were fronts for a sophisticated enterprise manufacturing fake edible bird’s nest—an expensive delicacy prized for its purported health benefits.
At the start of 2024, Truong took things up a notch by investing in industrial-grade machinery and setting up a production workshop in the Dien Ban Dong ward of Da Nang. Here, Truong tasked Chau with a particularly devious mission: research and develop fake bird’s nest fibers that would be virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. The result was a product that looked authentic, right down to the texture and appearance, fooling even the most discerning eyes.
From the initial processing of raw materials to extracting the fake bird’s nest into molds, labeling, and packaging—the entire process was tightly controlled by Truong and Chau. It wasn’t just a matter of mixing together some ingredients and hoping for the best. The operation was systematic, with each step designed to maximize efficiency and minimize suspicion. According to police, “the entire production process, from raw material processing, extracting fake bird’s nest into molds, labeling, to packaging, was directly conducted by Truong and Chau.”
For a time, between January 2024 and mid-June 2025, some batches did contain small amounts of real bird’s nest. But on June 24, 2025, Truong reportedly made a bold decision: from that point forward, all production would use only fake ingredients. This move allowed the ring to scale up dramatically, distributing their counterfeit products to retail stores not just in Da Nang, but also in Thanh Hoa and Hai Phong. The scale of the deception is staggering—tens of thousands of bottles of fake edible bird’s nest were sold, duping thousands of customers who believed they were buying a genuine health product.
It wasn’t long before suspicions began to mount. The Economic Police, acting on intelligence gathered through undercover surveillance, launched a full-scale investigation. They established a special task force to monitor the operation, with teams tracking every move Truong and Chau made. The investigation was supported by the direct and determined leadership of Major General Nguyen Huu Hop, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of Da Nang City Police, who insisted on swift and decisive action.
The breakthrough came with an emergency inspection of the workshop operated by Vannest Co., Ltd, situated in the bustling Dien Duong residential and market area of Dien Ban Dong ward. What officers found inside was jaw-dropping: nearly 38,000 bottles of finished counterfeit edible bird’s nest, spanning 15 different product types. It was clear the operation had been running at an industrial scale, with products ready for immediate distribution across the country.
But the true extent of the fraud was only revealed after laboratory testing. Of the 15 product types seized, five contained no sialic acid whatsoever—a key nutritional component that gives edible bird’s nest its reputed health benefits. The remaining ten types had only 1% of the sialic acid content found in genuine products. According to the police, “testing showed that among the 15 types, 5 contained no sialic acid, and 10 had sialic acid content only 1% of the normal standard.” For consumers, this meant that what they were buying was, at best, a pale imitation and, at worst, a complete sham.
The fallout has been swift and severe. The Economic Police moved quickly to detain Truong and Chau, launching an expanded investigation to identify and prosecute all individuals involved in the network. Authorities have vowed to “strictly handle related subjects according to the law,” signaling a zero-tolerance approach to food fraud that endangers public health.
The case has sent shockwaves through Vietnam’s food and beverage industry, where edible bird’s nest is a luxury item often given as gifts or consumed for its supposed medicinal properties. The scandal has also raised troubling questions about consumer protection and regulatory oversight. How could such a large-scale operation go undetected for so long? And what safeguards are in place to prevent similar schemes from emerging in the future?
For now, the Da Nang Economic Police are continuing their investigation, determined to root out every last member of the criminal network. In the words of local media, “this case serves as a stark warning and lesson to those who seek to profit at the expense of consumer health.” The message is clear: authorities are watching, and those who gamble with public safety will be held accountable.
The incident has also sparked a broader conversation about the risks of food fraud in Vietnam and beyond. As consumer demand for premium products grows, so too do the incentives for unscrupulous actors to cut corners or outright deceive. The Da Nang case is a sobering reminder that vigilance—by both regulators and consumers—is more important than ever.
While the investigation continues, authorities are urging the public to be cautious when purchasing edible bird’s nest and other high-value foods. They recommend sourcing products from reputable suppliers and staying alert for deals that seem too good to be true. After all, as this case has shown, the cost of complacency can be measured not just in lost money, but in compromised health and trust.
As the legal process unfolds and more facts come to light, one thing is certain: the crackdown in Da Nang marks a turning point in the fight against counterfeit food in Vietnam. With the eyes of the nation watching, officials are determined to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice—and that the lessons learned will help protect consumers for years to come.