A new chapter has emerged in the ongoing case involving Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, the 26-year-old Miss Grand International 2021. On Monday, May 19, 2025, it was officially revealed that she had been arrested by the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Public Security on charges of consumer fraud related to the controversial “Monkey Vegetable Candy” scandal.
Tien is under investigation for “deceiving consumers” under Clause 2, Article 198 of Vietnam’s Penal Code. The case implicates several well-known figures, including social media influencers and senior executives from Asia Life Corporation and Chi Em Rọt Company, who are accused of producing and falsely advertising substandard health food products.
Investigators suspect that Tien holds a 30 percent stake in a joint venture responsible for producing the Monkey Candy, a product marketed as a healthy green vegetable alternative. The remaining 70 percent is reportedly owned by her business partners, Nguyen Thi Thai Hang (known as Hang Du Muc) and Pham Quang Linh (known as Quang Linh Vlogs), both of whom were arrested earlier in April on similar charges.
Authorities allege that the company made misleading marketing claims such as “one piece equals a serving of vegetables” while failing to disclose key ingredients, including sorbitol, which makes up 35 percent of the product and acts as a laxative. Additionally, the raw ingredients used were found to have significantly lower nutritional value than advertised. Although the product packaging claimed a 28 percent vegetable powder content, actual tests revealed it to be less than 1 percent.
The deceptive promotional campaign was widely disseminated across various social media platforms. Tien, who has more than 2.6 million Facebook followers, appeared in live broadcasts and posts endorsing the candy as a safe and beneficial product for both children and adults. She later deleted the posts after users raised concerns over the accuracy of the claims.
Police stated that over 135,000 units of the product were sold to more than 30,000 customers, generating revenue exceeding VND 17 billion (approximately USD 670,000).
