{
  "id": 5294932,
  "title": "Vietnam sentences 11 to death in $1.1B drug case involving 4 flight attendants",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/vietnam-sentences-11-to-death-in-1-1b-drug-case-involving-4-flight",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T09:21:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "VnExpress International",
    "slug": "vnexpress-international",
    "url": "https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/crime/vietnam-sentences-11-to-death-in-1-1b-drug-case-involving-4-flight-attendants-5116200.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 3, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City People's Court handed down death sentences to 11 individuals in a massive drug trafficking case, marking one of the nation's largest narcotics dismantling efforts. The convicts included Ha Danh Nam, 52, the alleged mastermind, who was fined an additional VND100 million (US$3,800) for orchestrating the network. Nam, who had never been in custody, was tried in his absence alongside four others still under arrest warrants. The remaining 10 convicts faced penalties ranging from VND50-100 million each, while 19 others received life imprisonment for their roles, including Hoang Sy Thang and his nephew-in-law Bui Van Anh. The court also sentenced singer Chi Dan to seven years for organizing drug use and social media influencer Nguyen Do Truc Phuong to six years. Model Andrea Aybar Carmona, a Spanish national, was given eight years, including seven for organizing drug use and one year for possession. The trial, which lasted nine days, saw 227 defendants, with most confessing and expressing remorse, while Nam and the other three absent defendants denied the charges. The investigation began on August 17, with the indictment covering eight groups of offenses, including possession, use of forged documents, failure to report a crime, concealing a crime, and unlawful appropriation of property.",
  "summary": "A Ho Chi Minh City court sentenced 11 people to death and 19 to life in one of Vietnam's largest drug cases, with the alleged ringleader convicted in absentia.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}