PNJ subsidiary director held in $10.7M diamond smuggling probe

Abhishek Deepak Patel, a 32-year-old Indian national, allegedly managed the diamonds and all sales proceeds inside Vietnam. Trinh Quang Chung, 42, from Dong Nai province, collected the diamonds in Hong Kong and transported them across the border. Dang Ngoc Son, 21, received and distributed the stones to buyers in HCMC, Hanoi and An Giang province. Tran Thi Hang, 41, acted as a major distributor who bought large quantities for resale to local dealers and jewelry businesses.

Thao is accused of exploiting his gem certification expertise to physically alter the smuggled diamonds. He allegedly removed the laser-inscribed identification numbers from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) certificates and replaced them with PNJ-LAB numbers. He then issued new, fraudulent certification reports to legitimize the stones before selling them for personal profit, police said.

Grading certificates determine a diamond's commercial value and maintain consumer trust. PNJ-LAB operates as an independent certification organization and is prohibited from trading the diamonds it certifies. Thao's actions generated illegal profits and damaged the certification body's credibility, police said.

Thanh Hoa police are expanding the investigation to determine the roles of other individuals and organizations involved.

Authorities advised consumers to buy diamonds only from legitimate businesses that provide proper invoices, supporting documents and genuine certification reports from reputable laboratories. They warned against unusually cheap diamonds and cautioned against investment, consignment or capital contribution schemes involving diamonds offered through social media or unverified trading platforms.