Following public reports and surveillance efforts, the Economic Police Department of the Hanoi Public Security uncovered multiple locations engaged in the slaughter and sale of pork from pigs that were either dead or infected with disease.

On June 30, a task force including the Economic Police, Market Management Team No. 17, and the Department of Livestock and Animal Health inspected a slaughterhouse in Khanh Ha commune, Thuong Tin district, operated by Le Van Tuoi. Authorities discovered numerous pigs showing symptoms of African swine fever. A total of 45 live pigs, 1,050 kilograms of slaughtered pork, and 450 kilograms of pig offal were seized.

Tuoi admitted to purchasing infected pigs, slaughtering them, and distributing the meat to vendors at a major wholesale market in the city. His operation ran nightly between 12:30 a.m. and 3 a.m., with pigs bought at USD 1.37-1.57 per kilogram (VND 35,000-40,000) and meat sold at USD 2.15-2.35 per kilogram (VND 55,000-60,000).

Investigators also identified Dang Van Huy, a resident of Tung Thien ward, Hanoi, as a supplier who collected diseased pigs and sold them to Tuoi’s facility.

On July 1, authorities carried out another inspection at Phung Khoang Market in Dai Mo ward, where they found 367 kilograms of discolored, foul-smelling pork at a stall operated by Du Dinh Hoi from Hoa Xa, Hanoi.

Hoi confessed to buying dead pigs from Ung Hoa and My Duc districts (now under Phu Tho province), or from former Hoa Binh province, at around USD 0.78/kg (VND 20,000), then slaughtering and transporting them to his market stall.

Hoi admitted to using pig’s blood to smear on spoiled meat to make it appear fresher and mixing it with fresh meat to deceive consumers. He and his wife handled all processing and direct sales.

Further checks at the market uncovered 426 kilograms of pork showing signs of poor hygiene and African swine fever at the stall of Nguyen Viet Chiem, also from Hoa Xa.

Using similar methods as Hoi, Chiem acquired dead pigs for USD 0.78/kg, processed them at home, and resold the meat to customers, including restaurants. On average, he sold meat from 5 to 7 pigs daily - about 1 ton of pork.

Based on collected evidence, Hanoi’s investigative police have officially filed charges for violations of food safety regulations and temporarily detained Le Van Tuoi, Dang Van Huy, Du Dinh Hoi, and Nguyen Viet Chiem for prosecution.

The Hanoi Economic Police are continuing to expand their investigation to ensure all involved parties are held accountable under the law.

PV