CaliToday (19/9/2025): A court in Vietnam has handed down prison sentences to 14 individuals involved in a sophisticated network that smuggled over 113 kilograms (approximately 249 pounds) of gold from Cambodia into Vietnam. The verdict, delivered by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court on Friday afternoon, marks a significant conviction in the country's ongoing crackdown on illicit cross-border trade.
 |
| The defendants at the trial. |
Following a two-day trial, the court found the defendants guilty of smuggling, concluding a major investigation into two interconnected rings that trafficked gold with a total estimated value of over 252 billion Vietnamese Dong (approximately $9.9 million USD).
The court identified Nguyen Minh Tri and Nguyen Hoang Sa as the masterminds behind the separate, yet coordinated, operations.
Nguyen Minh Tri, the leader of the larger of the two rings, was sentenced to 13 years in prison. His group was found responsible for illegally transporting 77 kilograms of gold from Cambodia. The court determined he had personally profited nearly $27,000 from the illicit activities, which took place over a brief but intense period in late 2024.
Nguyen Hoang Sa, who led the second ring responsible for smuggling 36 kilograms of gold, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Sa was tried in absentia, as he remains a fugitive and is currently on a wanted list.
The remaining 12 defendants, who acted as transporters, distributors, and intermediaries, received various other prison sentences based on their level of involvement.
According to the indictment, the syndicates operated by purchasing gold in Cambodia and then using a network of couriers to transport it across the border, primarily through An Giang and Long An provinces. The gold was then delivered to accomplices in Ho Chi-Minh City and as far as Hanoi, where it was sold to gold shops and other dealers, capitalizing on the price difference between the two countries.
The court's verdict includes the confiscation of large amounts of assets and smuggled gold to be returned to the state treasury. This case highlights the persistent issue of precious metal smuggling along the Vietnam-Cambodia border and underscores the efforts of Vietnamese authorities to dismantle these lucrative criminal enterprises.
