Vietnamese beauty queen arrested for gummy ‘fibre' fraud
Police said on May 19 that Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien was aware the fibre content of the candy was low, at just 0.935 per cent.
A former winner of the Thailand-based Miss Grand International beauty competition, Tien is a popular beauty queen in Vietnam who received a certificate of merit from the prime minister.
Tien promoted Kera Supergreens Gummies along with fellow social media influencers Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc.
Investigators said the product was the result of a joint venture between Tien and a company set up by the two other influencers.
Last December, Tien promoted the product with the other two as a healthy candy containing the equivalent of a plate of vegetables per gummy.
Investigators said the gummies contained 35 per cent sorbitol, an artificial sweetener with laxative effects, along with undisclosed additives.
The authorities said more than 135,000 packs had been sold to some 30,000 customers for nearly 18 billion dong (S$890,000), while she received a commission of around 7 billion dong.
Tien gained popularity in Vietnam after winning the Bangkok beauty pageant in 2021 and received advertisement deals with brands. She became the first Vietnamese celebrity named as Dior's Friend of the House in March. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Thailand's ex-PM Thaksin faces verdict in royal insult case
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Thailand's former PM Thaksin Shinawatran faces up to 15 years in prison if the Bangkok court finds him guilty of breaching lese-majeste laws. BANGKOK - Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will learn his fate on Aug 22 in a royal insult case that could see him jailed, as the political dynasty he founded falters after two decades of dominating Thai politics. The 76-year-old faces up to 15 years in prison if the Bangkok court finds him guilty of breaching Thailand's strict lese-majeste laws that criminalise almost any criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his family. The verdict, expected from 10am (11am Singapore time), comes a week before another court rules whether Thaksin's daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, will be thrown out of office as prime minister. If both verdicts go against them, it would be a watershed for Thai politics, spelling the end of the family's time in high office after a 20-year period that has seen three Shinawatra prime ministers. Thaksin's royal defamation case stems from remarks he made in an interview with South Korean media in 2015, relating to the 2014 military coup that overthrew his sister Yingluck. AFP is not able to report Thaksin's comments in detail because the lese-majeste law is so strict that doing so could in itself constitute a criminal offence. Years of tussle Thaksin, who testified in his own defence in July, has been the defining figure of Thai politics for a quarter of a century. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore New ACS special education school to take in 100 pupils with autism in January 2026 Singapore Courier tip-off leads to HSA seizure of Kpods, drugs in Tampines and Grange Road raids Business Changi Travel Services cuts 30 staff amid market shifts World Trump gives two weeks to assess Russia-Ukraine peace prospects Opinion A Trumpian game of ping pong over Ukraine's future Singapore Singapore students shine in Paris with record medal haul at history Olympiad Singapore Eavesdropping on monkeys in Singapore to watch out for emerging diseases Opinion Why that hand-wringing over The Projector isn't pointless The country has been roiled by a succession of coups, street protests and court orders as Thaksin and his followers tussled for power with the traditional pro-royalist, pro-military elite that sees him as corrupt, nepotistic and a threat to Thailand's traditional social order. Twice elected prime minister in the early 2000s, Thaksin fled Thailand and lived in self-imposed exile for 15 years after he was ousted in a military coup, finally returning to the kingdom in August 2023. He landed in Bangkok on the same day his family's Pheu Thai party took office at the head of a coalition government backed by their conservative former enemies, fuelling suspicions a backroom deal had been struck. On arrival, Thaksin was immediately sentenced to eight years in prison on graft and abuse of power charges dating back to his time in office. But instead of going to jail, he was whisked to a private room at a police hospital because of health problems. Days later, the king cut his sentence to one year, and in February 2024, he was freed as part of an early release scheme for elderly prisoners. His handling has led to another legal case, set to conclude on September 9, arguing that because he never served time in a jail cell, he was not eligible for early release. Rise in prosecutions Prosecutions for lese-majeste, known as 112 in Thailand for its section in the criminal code, have increased sharply since anti-government protests in 2020, some of which openly criticised the monarchy. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, a group providing legal services in many of the cases, says that more than 280 people have been prosecuted under section 112 in the last five years. The law says anyone who 'defames, insults or threatens' the king, queen, heir or regent can face up to 15 years in prison. Rights groups and critics say the law is now interpreted so broadly as to stifle dissent and legitimate debate. AFP
CNA
11 hours ago
- CNA
Suspended Thai PM Paetongtarn testifies over leaked phone call with Cambodia's Hun Sen
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who has been suspended from duty, has given her testimony before Thailand's Constitutional Court in a hearing that could end her political career. She is accused of breaching ethics and integrity clauses in the Constitution for her phone call with Cambodian former-PM Hun Sen that was leaked into the public domain in late June. Tomorrow, her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will receive a verdict that could also send him behind bars. For many political observers in Thailand, it feels like the beginning of the end for the Shinawatras' hold on power — a family that has dominated Thai politics for three decades. Saksith Saiyasombut reports from Bangkok.
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
UK targets Iranian oil magnate, four companies with asset freeze
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox LONDON - Britain imposed sanctions on one individual and four entities on Wednesday under its Iran sanctions regime, saying they are part of a network that supports Tehran's overseas activities, including in Ukraine and Israel. The sanctions include an asset freeze on Iranian oil magnate Hossein Shamkhani, and on four companies operating in the shipping, petrochemical and financial sectors, according to a government notice published online. Britain said the network had facilitated hostile activity by the Iranian government, including efforts to destabilise the UK and other countries. Some of the companies were cited for acting on behalf of or at the direction of Shamkhani, who is accused of aiding Iran's overseas operations. Shamkhani was also sanctioned by the United States last month. The sanctions freeze any UK-based assets and bar British individuals and businesses from dealing with the designated parties. REUTERS
