Warehouses full of fake Gucci, Dior, Hermes goods busted in Vietnam crackdown

Police inspect a warehouse of counterfeit goods in Dong Nai, southern Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Thai Ha

Police in Vietnam's southern Dong Nai City have begun probes into two warehouse owners for allegedly infringing industrial property rights after seizing more than 1,400 counterfeit products bearing luxury brands including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Dior.

Dong Nai City police announced on June 9 to open criminal investigation against Vu Van Ha Hieu, 28, and Tran Minh Loc, 34.

The case stems from a May 19 inspection in which the city's Economic Police Division, working with the local Market Surveillance Sub-Department, examined a warehouse owned by Hieu in Tran Bien Ward and another owned by Loc in Long Binh Ward.

Officers found the two facilities storing and selling large quantities of clothing, footwear and handbags counterfeiting brands protected in Vietnam, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Dior, Hermes, Chanel, Lacoste, Dolce & Gabbana and Balenciaga.

They seized 1,430 items with a total listed value of nearly VND649 million (US$24,600). Neither owner could produce invoices or documents proving the goods' legal origin.

Hieu and Loc admitted to buying the products from online groups. They told investigators they knew the goods were counterfeit but sold them anyway because they were cheaper than genuine items, easy to move and highly profitable.