Vietnam's biggest drug trial opens with 227 defendants, traced to toothpaste tubes
The People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City on Monday opened the first-instance trial of 227 defendants in a drug trafficking case expanded from the March 2023 case involving four female flight attendants who were used to transport drugs through Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Vietnam launched its largest drug trial, involving 227 defendants, on September 12, 2023. The case began on March 16, 2023, when customs officials at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City intercepted suspicious packages in the luggage of four flight attendants. Further investigation revealed 327 toothpaste tubes containing over 11 kg of illicit drugs.
The suspects, including singer Nguyen Trung Hieu and Spanish national Andrea Aybar Carmona, faced charges under eight categories, such as illegal transportation, trading, and possession of narcotics. Four flight attendants, who were not aware the packages contained drugs, were released due to insufficient evidence tying them to drug trafficking.
The investigation uncovered multiple networks involved in sourcing, transporting, trading, and using drugs, utilizing international express services and cyberspace.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
