HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Public Security on Sunday declared it had destroyed a ring smuggling herbal medicine of unclear origin in several different provinces and cities.

The ring was discovered on December 4 at Chi Ma Border Gate in Lộc Bình District, the northern mountainous province of Lạng Sơn. Police caught Trần Văn Quang, a customs worker, and Nguyễn Văn Khanh, a driver, in the act of completing procedures to bring goods through the border gate. In the customs declaration, they said the goods were dried fruits.

However, police found they were transporting nearly 400 bags of herbal medicines of different kinds.

Opening an investigation, the police checked to six traditional herbal medicines shops in Ninh Hiệp Commune, Gia Lâm District in Hà Nội and seized more than four tonnes of herbal medicines without documentation on their origin.

The police then inspected two stores in Từ Sơn District, the northern province of Bắc Ninh and confiscated more than six tonnes of herbal medicines without any papers or certificates of origin.

Police detained Quang, Khanh and the owner of the stores Lâm Đình Hưng for further investigation. — VNS