VTV.vn – Two foreign nationals have been exploiting cyberspace to organize the forgery and sale of academic degrees and foreign language certificates to both Vietnamese citizens and foreigners.
On August 26, the Ministry of Public Security announced that, through online monitoring, the Immigration Management Division of the Hung Yen Provincial Police discovered two Zalo accounts—named "English Department Royal Edu" and "Alyn"—frequently advertising the sale of degrees and foreign language certificates. These documents were marketed as having undergone consular legalization and were offered at low prices; the accounts also provided complete document packages to facilitate entry, residency, and long-term activities in Vietnam.
Through investigative measures, the Immigration Management Division identified the owner of the Zalo account "English Department Royal Edu" as Sarkar Khayrul Hasan (born in 1982, a Bangladeshi national) and the owner of the "Alyn" account as Mohammed Hussen Ali (born in 1989, an Indian national). These two foreign nationals directly organized and executed the various stages of a ring involved in the forgery and trading of degrees and certificates.
Monitoring and verifying the subjects' activities proved challenging because both are foreign nationals who frequently used social media accounts to communicate and transact with clients; communications were conducted in English and other languages, complicating efforts to access and verify information and to gather documents and evidence.
The subjects did not operate openly via traditional methods; instead, they primarily utilized the online space to post advertisements, receive requests, exchange information, negotiate prices, and provide payment instructions.
Given the complexity of the case, the Immigration Management Division reported the matter to the leadership of the Hung Yen Provincial Police and sought approval to launch a formal investigation project, through which Sarkar Khayrul Hasan was identified as the ringleader.
Police forces gradually uncovered the operational methods of the ring. When individuals—whether Vietnamese or foreign nationals—sought to purchase counterfeit degrees or certificates, the suspects would request the necessary personal details via Zalo.
Mohammed Hussen Ali was responsible for receiving information, editing, designing, and creating the requested documents, while also requiring a deposit via bank transfer. He would then forward the digital files to Sarkar Khayrul Hasan to carry out the actual production of the forged documents.
The suspects would agree with clients on the time and location for delivery. Upon receiving the documents, clients would pay the remaining balance either by bank transfer or in cash directly to Sarkar Khayrul Hasan.
On August 20, 2026, the Immigration Management Division, in coordination with the Security Investigation Division of the Hung Yen Provincial Police, caught Sarkar Khayrul Hasan and Mohammed Hussen Ali red-handed while they were delivering three forged documents to a buyer and accepting payment for the service.
Based on the gathered evidence and documentation, on August 21, 2026, the Security Investigation Division of the Hung Yen Provincial Police issued a decision to initiate criminal proceedings for the crime of "Forging seals or documents of agencies or organizations" under Article 341 of the Penal Code. Simultaneously, they issued decisions to prosecute and orders to detain Sarkar Khayrul Hasan and Mohammed Hussen Ali in connection with the offense.
The Security Investigation Division of the Hung Yen Provincial Police is currently continuing to verify details and expand the investigation into the case.