Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung was forced to resign

Mr. Hoang Trung, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, was disciplined by the Prime Minister in the form of dismissal on September 4.

The administrative disciplinary decision against Mr. Trung was made more than a month after he was expelled from the Party by the Secretariat and detained by the Police Department investigating corruption, economic and smuggling crimes (C03).

The time for disciplining Mr. Hoang Trung is from July 31, 2026.

Previously, on July 28, the Party Secretariat expelled Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung due to deterioration in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle; violating the Party's regulations, State laws, regulations on what party members cannot do and the responsibility to set an example. These violations are assessed as "causing very serious consequences, making public opinion angry, and negatively affecting the reputation of Party organizations, localities, agencies and working units".

On the same day, the Police Department investigating corruption, economic and smuggling crimes (C03) temporarily detained Mr. Hoang Trung for accepting bribes.

For the same crime, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, was also prosecuted and detained.

Two defendants, Nguyen Thi Ha, Head of the Quarantine Branch of Region 7 under the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, and Be Thi Thu Hien, Head of the Huu Nghi Quarantine Station - Lang Son, were arrested for the crime of Forgery at work.

This move was made by C03 when expanding its investigation into a case related to durian export activities to China. The case occurred at the Center for Testing and Quality Services, Nho Nho Technology Company Limited, Thuy Fruit Company Limited and related units and individuals.

According to C03, Mr. Hoang Trung, when holding the position of Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), together with Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, took advantage of their positions and powers to promulgate illegal policies, showing signs of creating "sub-licences", serving group interests and personal profiteering of especially large amounts of money.

The two men were also accused of intervening and instructing subordinates to issue false testing certificates and planting area codes; Illegally buying and selling growing area codes and packaging facility codes.

The investigation agency said that the violations caused serious damage to the legitimate rights and interests of durian growers and exporters; causing a particularly large loss of revenue for the budget, and at the same time negatively affecting the reputation and brand of Vietnam's agricultural product industry.

Mr. Hoang Trung is 57 years old, from Yen Bai, with a doctorate degree. In June 2023, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. After the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development merged with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, from February 2025, he held the position of Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment.

Previously, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with the positions of specialist, Deputy Head, Head of Plant Quarantine, Deputy Director and Director of Plant Protection.