Hung Yen Market Surveillance Sub-Department: Stepping up the fight against counterfeit goods to safeguard healthy market

As Hung Yen experiences rapid economic growth, driven by an expanding network of industrial parks, industrial clusters, and vibrant trade activities, market surveillance has become increasingly challenging.

Against the backdrop of increasingly sophisticated trade fraud and counterfeit production and distribution, the Hung Yen Market Surveillance Sub-Department has proactively implemented a comprehensive range of decisive enforcement measures. Through professionalism, strict law enforcement, and accelerated digital transformation, the local market surveillance force has become a strong line of defence, protecting consumer rights while fostering a fair and transparent business environment for legitimate enterprises.

The counterfeit goods maze: Sophisticated schemes in the digital age

Strategically located at the gateway to Hanoi, Hung Yen serves as a key transportation hub connecting provinces across Northern Vietnam's economic triangle. While the province's rapidly improving transport infrastructure and logistics network have significantly boosted trade and investment, they have also unintentionally made the area an attractive transit and distribution point for smugglers and counterfeit goods traffickers.

In the past, counterfeit and imitation products were primarily sold openly in traditional markets or mixed among legitimate retail goods. Today, however, illegal operators have fundamentally changed their methods. Taking advantage of the explosive growth of e-commerce, social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Zalo, as well as online marketplaces, they have established increasingly sophisticated distribution networks.

Counterfeit products, including cosmetics, fashion apparel, dietary supplements, and electronic components are typically stored in warehouses on the outskirts of urban areas, hidden production facilities within residential neighborhoods, or workshops disguised as subcontracting factories.

Transactions are conducted almost entirely online, while products are divided into small shipments, packaged, and delivered through express courier services directly to consumers. These practices have made surveillance, evidence collection, and enforcement operations significantly more difficult for authorities.

Targeting the source: Major enforcement achievements

In response to these evolving challenges, the leadership of the Hung Yen Market Surveillance Sub-Department has directed local Market Surveillance Teams to strengthen market monitoring, maintain close oversight of their assigned areas, collect intelligence, and focus enforcement efforts on major criminal networks and large-scale counterfeit operations.

Over the recent period alone, the Market Surveillance force in Hung Yen has led and coordinated thousands of inspections, imposed administrative penalties amounting to billions of Vietnamese dong, and confiscated and destroyed large quantities of goods with unknown origin as well as high-value counterfeit trademark products.

Notable operations have included the dismantling of large-scale garment workshops producing counterfeit versions of internationally renowned sportswear brands such as Adidas and Nike, along with the seizure of tens of thousands of counterfeit cosmetics and perfumes bearing luxury brand trademarks before they could enter the market.

Food safety enforcement has also remained a top priority. Authorities have successfully intercepted and confiscated tons of unsafe food products and animal offal of unknown origin while in transit, directly protecting the health and safety of local residents.

Every successful enforcement operation reflects not only days and nights of surveillance and field investigation by Market Surveillance officers but also demonstrates Hung Yen's uncompromising commitment to combating trade fraud, with no "off-limits" areas in law enforcement.

Digital transformation and professional capacity building: Breaking through new challenges

To effectively combat technology-enabled crime and increasingly sophisticated e-commerce violations, the Hung Yen Market Surveillance Sub-Department recognizes that traditional inspection methods alone are no longer sufficient. Technological innovation has become the key to transforming enforcement effectiveness.

The provincial Market Surveillance force has accelerated the deployment of the Information Network System (INS) for administrative violation management throughout its operational processes. The digitalization of case files enables seamless data integration, significantly shortens processing time, and ensures transparency, consistency, and accuracy in preparing violation records and issuing administrative sanctions.

Meanwhile, Market Surveillance officers continue to receive specialized training to enhance their cyber investigation capabilities. Proactive monitoring of suspicious wholesale and retail online accounts, together with the application of digital tracking and geolocation technologies to monitor product movements, has enabled authorities to uncover numerous "virtual" warehouses operating online that were, in reality, large-scale physical storage facilities.

Strengthening inter-agency cooperation and public engagement

One of the key factors behind Hung Yen's success has been effective inter-agency coordination. Under the close direction of the Provincial Steering Committee 389, the Market Surveillance Sub-Department has established a robust coordination mechanism and timely information-sharing system with the Provincial Police (Economic Police Division), specialized inspectorates, tax authorities, customs authorities, and local governments.

This coordinated enforcement network creates a comprehensive defence system, making it increasingly difficult for violators to conceal evidence, move illegal goods, or exploit legal loopholes.

However, the fight against counterfeit goods cannot succeed without the active participation of consumers and legitimate businesses. Recognizing this, alongside inspection and enforcement activities, the Hung Yen Market Surveillance Sub-Department has placed strong emphasis on public awareness campaigns and legal education.

Commitment campaigns encouraging businesses not to trade in or store counterfeit and smuggled goods have been widely implemented among traders in wholesale markets and commercial centers. In addition, hotline numbers of local Market Surveillance Teams have been publicly announced to encourage citizens to report suspected violations. As consumers become active participants in market oversight, the operating space for counterfeit traders continues to shrink.

Maintaining momentum toward a transparent marketplace

The persistent efforts of the Hung Yen Market Surveillance Sub-Department have produced tangible results. The open sale of counterfeit and imitation products has declined significantly, consumer awareness has improved, and investor confidence in Hung Yen's business environment continues to strengthen. These achievements provide an important foundation for maintaining the province's investment attractiveness and supporting the sustainable development of the private sector in line with Hung Yen's broader economic reform agenda.

Looking ahead, the Hung Yen Market Surveillance Sub-Department will continue working closely with local authorities and relevant agencies to intensify public awareness campaigns while strengthening market inspection and control activities. By promptly detecting and strictly handling violations, the agency aims to contribute to market stability, protect the lawful rights and interests of consumers, and foster a healthy, transparent, and sustainable business environment