The couple Phan Thị Mai and Hoàng Kim Khánh. Photo courtesy of Anti-Corruption, Economic and Smuggling Crimes Police Department

HÀ NỘI — Police have seized and frozen large sums of cash, gold, land certificates and luxury vehicles as part of an expanding investigation into Mailisa, a prominent Vietnamese beauty spa chain accused of large-scale smuggling and illicit profiteering.

The police have so far confiscated VNĐ3 billion (US$160,000), more than $400,000, 300 taels of gold, 100 land use right certificates, and 12 supercars to serve the investigation.

On November 21, the Anti-Corruption, Economic and Smuggling Crimes Police Department launched legal proceedings for the offence of smuggling involving MK Skincare Company and related units and localities. At the same time, the agency pressed charges and ordered the temporary detention of Phan Thị Mai, director of Mailisa Aesthetic Clinic Co Ltd, along with seven others for the same offence.

The initial investigation determined that between 2020 and 2024, Mai and her husband Hoàng Kim Khánh purchased cosmetics manufactured at low cost in Guangzhou, China, then resold them across Việt Nam through the Mailisa beauty clinic chain for substantial profit. The products did not meet declared quality or ingredient standards and did not satisfy conditions for obtaining a Certificate of Free Sale in China.

Investigators allege that the defendants colluded with Chinese partners, signed sham contracts and altered the declared origin of the cosmetics from Guangzhou to Hong Kong before smuggling them into Việt Nam. They were then advertised as Hong Kong-made products to bolster consumer trust and sold at prices dozens of times higher, generating significant illegal profits.

Based on just three of more than 100 key products supplied by the Mailisa network, illegally obtained profits have been estimated at several trillion đồng, equivalent to hundreds of millions of US dollars. By the time the case was opened, Mailisa had grown to 17 branches nationwide and had distributed more than eight million products across nearly 100 product codes.

After their arrest, Mai and Khánh voluntarily paid VNĐ300 billion ($11.4 million) to the State budget to remedy consequences, and handed over registration papers for 12 supercars as well as other valuable assets to support the investigation.

According to police, Mailisa spent around VNĐ20 billion ($760,000) per month on social media advertising to build its brand. The couple allegedly exaggerated the quality and effectiveness of the low-cost products through media campaigns and aspirational imagery to sell them at vastly inflated prices.

So far, the Ministry of Health has revoked 80 declaration receipt numbers and 162 cosmetic products linked to Mailisa Beauty Salon. — VNS