Vietnam court sentences 11 to death in major drug trafficking case, state media reports
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court handed down the death sentences to 11 defendants convicted of drug trafficking in a case that involved 227 accused people in total.
In one of Vietnam's most significant drug trafficking cases, a court in Ho Chi Minh City has sentenced 11 individuals to death, according to state media reports. The verdict comes after an investigation that began in March 2023 when four flight attendants were apprehended at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, carrying narcotics concealed within toothpaste tubes.
The investigation revealed that the four women had unknowingly transported a total of more than 10 kg (22 lb) of drugs from France into Vietnam. Authorities uncovered a transnational trafficking network smuggling narcotics disguised as consumer goods from France into Vietnam. This network allegedly utilized encrypted messaging platforms, bank accounts registered under false names, and delivery services to distribute drugs across southern Vietnam.
While prosecutors detailed the extent of the criminal operation, details about the lawyers representing the 11 sentenced to death were not immediately available. However, at least 20 other defendants have been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the case. The verdicts come as Vietnam considers potential changes to its use of capital punishment, with the government proposing to abolish the death penalty for drug trafficking as part of a revision to the criminal code. However, these proposed changes have not yet taken effect.
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