A police officer in Ho Chi Minh City reads arrest warrants to four suspects accused of selling more than 10,000 bottles of counterfeit perfumes bearing well-known brand names. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security

The suspects include one man, Thai Vi Khuong, 39, from Gia Lai Province, and three women: Le Thi Hoai Hiep, 35, Nguyen Thi Thuy Hien, 32, both from Gia Lai, and Le Thi Kim Tuyen, 36, a resident of Ho Chi Minh City.

All four have been charged with trading in counterfeit goods as part of a perfume trafficking ring, police said on Sunday.

The case came to light after police intelligence uncovered a large-scale online network trading in counterfeit cosmetics, prompting the formation of a task force to dismantle the operation.

During coordinated raids, multiple teams inspected and searched three warehouses and a house linked to the suspects in Linh Xuan, Thong Tay Hoi, and An Hoi Tay Wards.

Initial investigations showed that since early 2025, the group had distributed more than 10,000 bottles of counterfeit perfumes bearing brand names such as Chanel, BVL, Versace, Burberry, Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana.

Counterfeit Chanel perfume products seized by police in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security

The products were estimated to be worth around VND10 billion ($386,800) if sold as genuine items, causing serious damage to the trademark owners’ reputations and commercial rights.

Investigators are continuing to expand the probe to trace others involved in the case.

Police warned that the counterfeit cosmetics had not undergone any quality inspection and posed potential health risks to users, adding that any long-term use of such products could lead to dangerous chronic illnesses and was unsafe for consumers.

Besides, they cautioned that the cosmetics market is expected to become increasingly active ahead of the spring festival season and the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year holiday), which falls on February 17.

Police officers in Ho Chi Minh City search a warehouse linked to a ring trading counterfeit perfume products bearing well-known brand names. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security

Consumers were advised to pay closer attention to product quality, adjust their online shopping habits, and only purchase goods of clear origin.

Police also urged businesses operating on social media and e-commerce platforms to refrain from selling counterfeit or untraceable cosmetics and to cooperate with authorities in verifying product origins and handling violations in accordance with the law.