Chu Dang Khoa's unusual family background and the family company involved in numerous shady investigations.

Once a sensation in Vietnamese entertainment news alongside A-list celebrities, Chu Dang Khoa has just been officially arrested by South African authorities.

Behind the glamorous facade of a businessman lies a shocking record of transnational crime.

Shocking arrest in South Africa.

On March 13th, the Center for Nature Education (ENV) announced shocking news: Chu Dang Khoa – a figure once familiar to Vietnamese wildlife enthusiasts – had been arrested in South Africa. According to allegations from conservation organizations and international law enforcement agencies, Khoa was not only a businessman but also a key link in a transcontinental wildlife trafficking network.

Specifically, the suspect is believed to have run a ring smuggling rhino horns and tiger bones from Africa to the black market in Asia. Ms. Bui Thi Ha (Deputy Director of ENV) affirmed that this is a breakthrough after years of close monitoring, sending a strong message to criminal organizations operating under the guise of businesses.

Portrait of the "Diamond Tycoon" and his trillion-dollar fortune.

Chu Dang Khoa (born in 1982, originally from Nghe An province) is a powerful figure in the business world. Known as "Khoa of South Africa" ​​or "diamond tycoon," he spent a long time studying in Australia before moving to South Africa to build his empire in the mining and gemstone industry.

In Vietnam, Khoa is a major shareholder (holding approximately 22.77% of the capital) in Thien Minh Duc Group – a petroleum, logistics, and real estate "empire" chaired by his mother, Chu Thi Thanh. The Chu family owns a vast business network stretching from Nghe An to Laos, encompassing high-end hotels, restaurants, and entertainment complexes.

The glamour of showbiz and shocking scandals

Before his legal troubles, Chu Dang Khoa was the focus of entertainment media attention. This wealthy businessman's name was associated with a lavish lifestyle: owning a Porsche with a unique license plate, a luxurious villa in Hanoi, and a stylish collection of designer goods with his wife.

However, he is best remembered by the public for his romantic scandals. In 2015, intimate photos of Chu Dang Khoa and a top-tier female singer in Vietnamese showbiz were leaked, causing a fierce controversy while he was still in the process of divorcing. Facing the public outcry, the tycoon defended his lover and asserted that his marriage had already begun to crumble; however, this explanation failed to quell the public's criticism.

In addition, this tycoon's hot temper was also criticized when he threw a Zippo lighter at a reporter's face during an administrative check in central Hanoi in late 2011.

The collapse of a family "empire".

The arrest in South Africa seems to be the "last straw" after a series of events involving the Chu family. In 2025, Ms. Chu Thi Thanh (Khoa's mother) and several leaders of Thien Minh Duc Group were prosecuted for serious violations related to the fuel price stabilization fund and financial matters.

In Chu Dang Khoa's case, his Game Lodge elephant farm in North West province (South Africa) is suspected of being a disguised "transit hub." Although legally registered for breeding tigers and rhinos, it is alleged to be supplying rhino horns and lion bones to the global black market – a highly lucrative criminal activity second only to drug trafficking and human trafficking.

From a wealthy young man, a "prince charming" in romantic showbiz stories, Chu Dang Khoa now faces harsh penalties from international law. The case not only ended his reputation as a "diamond tycoon" but also exposed the dark side of criminal networks hidden behind the spotlight.

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