Vietnamese authorities have arrested more than 30 individuals, including beauty pageant winner and jewellery designer Hoang Thi Thanh Nga, in connection with an alleged diamond smuggling ring. The network is accused of importing over 28,000 diamonds valued at approximately £8 million (around 280 billion Vietnamese dong) from India without paying import duties.
The scheme reportedly involved concealing the gems in items such as bags, shoes, and clothing. Since the beginning of 2024, investigators say the ring made 141 illicit shipments. Police have conducted raids at more than 20 locations, primarily in Ho Chi Minh City, seizing jewellery and 1,239 diamonds lacking proper invoices or certification of origin.
Hoang Thi Thanh Nga, 46, known as the “queen of the tiara” for her role designing crowns for national beauty contests, is among three business owners formally charged with smuggling. She runs Ngoc Chau Au, a well-known jewellery business in Vietnam, and was the runner-up in the 2022 Mrs. Universe pageant.
Vietnam’s public security ministry identified that the diamonds were allegedly given false certificates of origin by a subsidiary of Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ), Vietnam’s largest publicly traded jewellery company. PNJ has denied direct involvement in the smuggling activities, stating that the allegations are directed at Dang Ngoc Thao, the former director of PNJ Laboratory (P-Lab), a fully owned unit of PNJ.
According to authorities, Thao is accused of removing laser inscriptions on the diamonds, re-engraving them with P-Lab identification codes, and producing counterfeit certification documents before distributing the gems to dealers. PNJ emphasized that the smuggled diamonds were never handled by the company itself and said it is cooperating fully with law enforcement.
The controversy has significantly affected PNJ’s stock, with shares declining more than 25 percent since the initial arrests earlier this month. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to gather evidence and pursue further charges.