The leader of the counterfeit money production and circulation ring was sentenced to life in prison.

On May 7, the People's Court of Da Nang City opened a trial for 7 defendants in a ring that produced and circulated 1,300 counterfeit bills worth 500,000 VND.

Specifically, Tran Van Mien (36 years old, residing in Ca Mau province), Nguyen Thi Cam Duyen (36 years old), Nguyen Nhu Phu (53 years old), Huynh Hoang Thuong (19 years old), Huynh Thi Thuy Hang (48 years old), all residing in Ho Chi Minh City, were tried for the crime of "Making, storing, and circulating counterfeit money".

The defendants Doan Van Duong (35 years old) and Ho Van Tien (36 years old, both residing in Quang Nam) were tried for "Storing and circulating counterfeit money".

At court, the defendants confessed their crimes. Nguyen Nhu Phu, who is being treated for a serious illness, filed a request to be tried in absentia.

Mien has 2 previous convictions for "Fraudulent appropriation of property", bad character and 2 times in compulsory drug rehabilitation facilities.

The Da Nang City People's Court sentenced Tran Van Mien to life in prison, Nguyen Thi Cam Duyen to 18 years in prison, Nguyen Nhu Phu to 20 years in prison, Huynh Hoang Thuong to 12 years in prison, Huynh Thi Thuy Hang to 14 years in prison, Doan Van Duong to 14 years in prison, and Ho Van Tien to 7 years in prison.

In addition, the panel sentenced the defendants to additional fines of 50 million VND for Mien, 30 million VND for Phu and Duyen. The defendants Hang and Duong were both fined 20 million VND, and Tien 10 million VND.

According to the indictment, on November 27, 2022, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong (29 years old, residing in Da Nang City) went to the police to report that she had advertised an iPhone 11 Promax for sale on social media for 10.2 million VND. Later, a young man contacted, bought it and gave her money, but when checking, Ms. Phuong discovered that it was counterfeit money.

The Security Investigation Agency launched an investigation, urgently searched the residences of Doan Van Duong and Ho Van Tien, and temporarily seized many related exhibits.

The investigation determined that Mien, whose Zalo nickname is “Don’t look anymore”, knew and lived with Duyen as husband and wife at a rented house in Ho Chi Minh City. Nguyen Nhu Phu had no job, so Mien and Duyen let him live with them to help with housework.

In January 2021, Mien bought machines to make counterfeit money and after many tests, the money produced was quite similar to real money, so he put it into circulation.

Duyen and Phu knew Mien made counterfeit money and helped him with odd jobs like carrying machines and cleaning up waste. In a short time, Mien made and circulated a total of about 200 million VND worth of counterfeit money in many southern provinces and cities.

In September 2022, this group moved and invited Phu to join. Mien also met and hired Thuong to make counterfeit money. Thuong asked her mother, Huynh Thi Thuy Hang, for permission and she agreed and took Thuong to Mien's house to make counterfeit money.

Every week, the group works about 1-2 times, each time making about 200-300 counterfeit bills with a face value of 500,000 VND.

To sell, Mien posted advertisements for counterfeit money on Facebook groups and sold Duong 172 counterfeit bills worth 500,000 VND.

Then, Duong invited Tien to sell counterfeit money in Quang Nam province and Da Nang city.

The indictment concluded that the total amount of counterfeit money that this group made was 1,300 finished 500,000 VND bills (equivalent to 900 million VND) and 388 A4 sheets printed with 500,000 VND bills (equivalent to 777.5 million VND) that were not yet finished.