Over 12,000 TECNO Mobile Phones Illegally Assembled in Lang Son: Criminal Case Initiated

On 24 April 2025, the Lang Son Provincial Police (Economic Police Division), in coordination with the Lang Son Provincial Market Surveillance Department, conducted an unannounced inspection of an illegal mobile-phone assembly site located at a workshop in Khon Pat Hamlet, Dong Kinh Ward, Lang Son City, Lang Son Province.

Background of the TECNO Brand

TECNO is one of the mobile-phone brands under Transsion Holdings, a smartphone manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen, China. According to Canalys (as cited by VnExpress), in 2024 Transsion shipped approximately 106.7 million smartphones (representing 9% market share), ranking fourth globally behind Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi; and, in Africa, Transsion’s market share was approximately 40% in 2024.

According to Transsion’s official website, its brand portfolio includes TECNO, itel, and Infinix, and it also operates Carlcare (after-sales services), oraimo (smart accessories), and Syinix (home appliances). Transsion further states that it has been listed on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange since 2019.

Discovery of the Illegal Assembly Workshop

At the time of inspection (24 April 2025), the competent authorities found that more than 40 Vietnamese workers were directly assembling TECNO-branded mobile phones, model T301. The site was managed and supervised by two Chinese nationals.

Specifically, the authorities identified the above-mentioned individuals as Wang Dong (resident of Henan Province) and Chen Diba (born in 1974, resident of Hubei Province), together with 44 workers engaged in assembling mobile-phone components.

The workshop was located in a relatively secluded area among earthen hills and residential communities on the outskirts of Lang Son City.

Hơn 12.000 điện thoại TECNO lắp ráp trái phép ở Lạng Sơn – Khởi tố vụ án hình sự – Fig.3

Hơn 12.000 điện thoại TECNO lắp ráp trái phép ở Lạng Sơn – Khởi tố vụ án hình sự – Fig.5

Hơn 12.000 điện thoại TECNO lắp ráp trái phép ở Lạng Sơn – Khởi tố vụ án hình sự – Fig.4

Seized Exhibits Exceeding 12,000 Handsets; Estimated Value of Approximately VND 2.3 Billion

During the inspection, the authorities recorded and temporarily seized: more than 12,000 finished 2G mobile phones bearing the mark TECNO T301 (packed in 203 carton boxes); three (03) assembly lines; various machinery and tools (including soldering machines, screw-driving machines, order printers, barcode printers, dust blowers, air compressors, etc.); and a substantial quantity of unassembled phone components. The total estimated value of the seized goods was approximately VND 2.3 billion. The goods were not accompanied by invoices or documents evidencing lawful origin, and the facility did not possess the required business registration certificate.

Initiation of Criminal Proceedings for the Offense of “Infringement of Industrial Property Rights”

As of 22 August 2025, the Investigation Police Agency of the Lang Son Provincial Police issued a decision to initiate a criminal case and to prosecute the accused, Hoang Minh Thuong, for the offense of “Infringement of industrial property rights” pursuant to Clause 2, Article 226 of the Penal Code.

According to information published on the official portal of the Lang Son Provincial Police, the investigative authority determined that Hoang Minh Thuong had communicated and agreed to allow foreign nationals to use his warehouse to install the assembly lines, hire workers, renovate the warehouse, and organize the assembly activities without obtaining the requisite permits from the competent authorities. The matter remains under investigation and is being handled in accordance with law.

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