Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security said on Friday it has initiated legal proceedings, arrested, and issued search warrants for five individuals involved in the controversial production of vegetable-based candy, including two popular Vietnamese TikTok influencers.

The five individuals include Nguyen Phong, chairman of Asia Life JSC; Le Tuan Linh, CEO and legal representative of Chi Em Rot Group JSC; and Le Thanh Cong, a board member at Chi Em Rot Group JSC.

The other two individuals are Pham Quang Linh, a social media personality known as Quang Linh Vlogs, and Nguyen Thi Thai Hang, who is popular on social media as Hang Du Muc, both of whom are also board members of Chi Em Rot Group JSC.

According to the ministry’s investigation agency, the suspects are accused of producing counterfeit food products and deceiving consumers, under Articles 193 and 198 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.

Pham Quang Linh and Nguyen Thi Thai Hang, both social media stars, previously promoted Kera vegetable candy, a product from Chi Em Rot Group JSC, during livestreams.

Pham Quang Linh (R) receives legal proceedings. Photo: Nhat Minh

They were joined by Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, Miss Grand International 2021, in endorsing the candy.

The product was first launched in late 2024 by Chi Em Rot Group, headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Duc City.

Both Pham Quang Linh and Nguyen Thi Thai Hang were fined VND70 million (US$2,712) each for false advertising, misleading consumers about the product’s quality.

The candy is produced by Asia Life Corporation in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province.

Le Tuan Linh, CEO of Chi Em Rot Group, stated that the ingredients were sourced from Lam Dong, Dak Lak, and Binh Thuan Provinces, and that the products were made from high-quality materials in Asia Life’s factory.

However, the candy gained attention on social media and the press due to misleading claims, such as “one candy replaces a plate of vegetables.”

Nguyen Thi Thai Hang (R) is arrested. Photo: Nhat Minh

A consumer, who tested the candy at the Quality Assurance and Testing Center 2, found that a 30-piece box contained only 0.51 grams of fiber, far below the advertised amount.

Chi Em Rot Group JSC announced it had sold over 100,000 boxes of the candy and offered full refunds for customers who wished to return the product.

Meanwhile, Miss Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien was fined VND25 million ($969) by the Vietnam Competition Commission, a division of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, for failing to disclose that she had been sponsored to promote the product.

The Public Security Department of Dak Lak Province has also temporarily banned Miss Thuy Tien from leaving the country between March 15 and May 15, 2025, to assist in the ongoing investigation.

Pham Quang Linh first collaborated with Thuy Tien during a charity mission in Angola in 2022.

Miss Grand International 2021 Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien promotes Kera candy. Photo: Kera Vietnam

Linh gained fame for helping the poor in Angola through his YouTube channel, Quang Linh Vlogs, which has over 4.2 million subscribers.

His Facebook page has more than 2.1 million followers.

Linh, originally from Nghe An Province, moved to Angola in 2016, where he worked as a construction laborer before establishing an ice factory.

Nguyen Thi Thai Hang, born in 1995 and from Ca Mau Province, has over 4.8 million followers on TikTok and more than 2.2 million on Facebook.

She began her livestreaming career in China, promoting red dates, before expanding to a variety of Vietnamese agricultural products such as rice and durian after returning to Vietnam.

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