The Ministry of Public Security’s Police Investigation Agency has announced an expanded criminal probe into allegations of bribery, issuing prosecution orders, search warrants, and pre-trial detention notices for former Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan and three other individuals.

The charges are linked to an ongoing case involving Hoang Long Investment Construction and Manpower Supply Joint Stock Company (Hoang Long Company) and several associated entities.

The investigation is being conducted by the Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling, and Economic Crimes. It originated from a case of "Violations of accounting regulations causing serious consequences", initiated on May 14, 2025.

As the inquiry progressed, investigators uncovered that Nguyen Ba Hoan, in his official capacity as Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, allegedly directed the Department of Overseas Labor Management to enforce a requirement for businesses to obtain a "sub-license" —a regulation not mandated by law. This requirement reportedly created bureaucratic hurdles, pressuring businesses to pay bribes to senior officials at the then labor ministry and the Department of Overseas Labor Management.

The investigation further revealed that labor export companies—taking advantage of their official licensing status—imposed service fees far exceeding legal limits, forcibly collecting funds from workers and misappropriating them.