Unveiling the terrifying activities inside a "ghost" liposuction spa in the heart of Hanoi

Faced with the increasing demand for beauty, a series of spas and cosmetic facilities have defied the law, advertised falsely and performed invasive medical services without a license.

Recently, the Internal Political Security Department (PA03), Hanoi City Police discovered an illegal facility operating at 725 Truong Dinh, Giap Bat Ward, Hoang Mai District, specializing in liposuction for customers despite not having a license to practice medical examination and treatment.

A 28-year-old victim could not hide his emotions when recounting the haunting experience here: "Only when I believe do I dare to give my whole body to them. Yet they held me down and did it like slaughtering cattle. Now my body is deformed, I feel like human life has no value at all."

Through investigation, the people directly performing the procedures at this facility do not have medical expertise, most of them are manual laborers, some even used to be construction workers. However, they still participate in liposuction, injecting anesthetics, regardless of the risks to customers. During the inspection, the authorities recorded many customers undergoing liposuction on the spot. The 5th floor of the building is used to store medical supplies of unknown origin. This facility has been operating for a long time, serving hundreds of customers, and illegally earning billions of dong.

Through social networks, these "underground" spas regularly post images of "real people - real work", introducing a team of fake doctors from major hospitals, along with attractive commitments such as "painless beauty", "come home right away", "lose 10kg in 1 hour". The scam process is professionally organized: from online consultation, picking up and dropping off customers at home, to underground surgery in private rooms, without any health check or testing before the procedure.

A woman said she spent nearly VND100 million to have liposuction and breast lift surgery performed at Ha Thanh Hospital, promising to have the surgery done at the hospital. However, she only realized she had been scammed when she woke up in great pain after the surgery that lasted for hours under poor conditions. Another customer said indignantly: "They said it would be done in an hour, but it took from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and it still wasn't done. The person who performed the surgery claimed to be a hospital doctor, but I didn't see any qualifications."

Worryingly, many victims come from neighboring provinces and are easily lured by the image of doctors wearing white blouses and warranty papers printed with the logo of Ha Thanh Hospital. However, Mr. Le Huu Nghi, Deputy Director of Ha Thanh General Hospital, affirmed: "All hospital logos and documents are being impersonated. We are not affiliated with any spa . Those fanpages are all fake and are seriously violating the law."

Not only do they cheat, illegal establishments also put their customers in danger. A young woman almost died after having liposuction on her back at an unlicensed spa. When she was rushed to the emergency room at Xanh Pon Hospital, the patient was in critical condition: rapid pulse, stiff jaw, and reduced consciousness. "If I could do it all over again, I would never choose this method. I'd rather be fat than almost die on the operating table," she sobbed.

According to Dr. Le Xuan Ngoc, Department of Plastic Surgery, Xanh Pon Hospital, uncontrolled injection of anesthetics is the cause of many complications. "Overdose injection can cause poisoning and vascular damage. Only doctors with expertise and anatomical knowledge can perform the procedure safely."

Dr. Uong Thanh Tung also warned: "Illegal spas cannot guarantee sterility. Infection during liposuction can cause sepsis, even death if not treated promptly."

Behind the complications is a loose management system. Most of these spas only register to provide massage and skin care services, but still blatantly perform invasive procedures. The current penalties are mainly administrative, with temporary suspension of operations not being enough of a deterrent. Many places have "changed their names" to continue defrauding customers, even operating at the same old address.

Mr. Trinh Van Quang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thinh Liet Ward, frankly said: "There are establishments so sophisticated that the authorities cannot detect violations when inspecting because they do not know the activities inside. There are places with closed doors, the upper floors are locked, no one can get in."

According to Mr. Bui Quoc Vuong, Head of the Medical Affairs Department, the current legal gap is a major reason why this situation is difficult to control. "If a facility is not registered as a medical examination and treatment facility, it is not under the management of the Department of Health. Thorough handling requires stronger regulations and stricter sanctions."

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