Dismantling a Smuggling Ring of Over 10,000 Tons of 'Dirty' Chicken Feet

Hanoi Police have officially initiated criminal proceedings, charging and arresting Nguyen Thi To Loan (47, Director of An Binh Import-Export and Trading Development JSC) and Trang Tuyet Ngoc (45, Assistant Department Head of An Binh Group) for smuggling.

Investigation findings reveal that between 2023 and 2026, under the guise of processing for export, the firm imported 339 containers totaling 1.2 million tons of chicken feet, valued at nearly 350 billion VND. Instead of re-exporting, the subjects illegally diverted over 10,000 tons into the domestic market.

Notably, authorities inspected warehouses in Quang Minh Industrial Zone (Hanoi) and a cold storage facility in Lang Son. At the An Viet 2 warehouse, police discovered over 1,000 tons of chicken feet, including 260 tons that had expired, showed signs of mold, and emitted a foul odor.

According to authorities, these products primarily originated from countries affected by poultry epidemics or were not on the list of approved imports for Vietnam. Driven by profit, the subjects ignored food safety regulations, distributing the products through various wholesale channels to restaurants and eateries in Hanoi, Lai Chau, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Ninh Binh, Hung Yen, and Quang Ninh.

The case remains under active investigation to further clarify the involvement of other parties and the accountability of oversight bodies in monitoring the frozen food supply chain.