Ngô Thị Như Huệ and Nguyễn Đức Thành Huy have been arrested for illegally trading toxic substances .—VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — A man and a woman are being investigated for illegally trading toxic substances in HCM City.

Bình Thạnh District’s Police have initiated legal proceedings against Ngô Thị Như Huệ and Nguyễn Đức Thành Huy, over claims they dold the deadly poison cyanide.

Huệ, 39, from Hiệp Thành Ward, District 12, serves as head of Business Operations for Nam Phương Chemicals Company Limited.

She allegedly sold a total of 2.55 tonnes of cyanide for about VNĐ373.8 million (US$15,100) to 11 customers since 2019.

The crimes came to light after police received a tip from local residents about a suspicious package containing a white powder mistakenly delivered to a residence.

Initial examinations confirmed the package contained 300 grammes of cyanide.

Upon receiving the information, the city’s Police Department instructed the district Police Ofice to work swiftly with relevant agencies to investigate the case.

Following leads, investigators apprehended Huy and seized over one kilogramme of cyanide hidden at his home, intended for sale.

During questioning, Huy disclosed that he used Facebook accounts named “Hóa chất Nam Phương” and “Hóa chất Xi mạ” to advertise and facilitate the sale of cyanide.

When customers expressed interest, he would package and deliver the products via cash-on-delivery services.

Cans of cyanide seized by the police.—VNA/VNS Photo

From March 2023 until his arrest, Huy admitted that he sold more than 100kg of cyanide to hundreds of customers across various provinces, disregarding whether they held the necessary permits to handle such hazardous substances.

Authorities also found that many individuals purchasing cyanide lack legal awareness, often using it for plating, painting, dyeing or as rodenticide.

However, there were 16 cases in the city and nearby provinces where individuals attempted to purchase cyanide for suicide; two were fortunate to receive timely medical assistance, while the remaining 14 reconsidered and disposed of the toxic substance.

Investigations into the cyanide supply chain revealed that Huệ exploited her position and the lax management of hazardous chemical sales to create fictitious contracts, enabling her to divert cyanide to other buyers across various regions for profit.

Huy was identified as a key player in reselling the substance for illicit gain.

The district’s Police Office confiscated 149.2 kg of cyanide in the case. — VNS