2 get death sentence for smuggling 7kg heroin into Vietnam

A court in central Vietnam on September 12 sentenced two men to death and another to life in prison for smuggling more than 7kg of heroin into Vietnam from Laos in 2014.

Nguyen Quoc Khanh, 56, and Cu Minh Tuan, 31, got death sentence and Ha Ba Hua, 27, got life imprisonment after they were found guilty of illegal transport and trading of drug.

Nguyen Thi Luat, 21, got 20 years in prison for the same charges, the People's Court of Nghe An said after the 4-day trial, the media reported.

The defendants stand the trial in Nghe An on September 12
The defendants stand the trial in Nghe An on September 12

According to the indictment, Khanh paid Hua VND10 million (US$450) to accompany three Lao men, who remain at large, to Vietnam.

On August 17, 2014, Khanh and Luat met with the Lao men in Nghe An for the drug deal. The duo paid them a total of $47,000 for more than 7kg of heroin and nearly 300 grams of methamphetamine.

Khanh hired Tuan to transport the drug to Quang Ninh.

Tuan was arrested with the drug when he was attempt to leave Nghe An on a taxi.

According to the court, Hua is an unemployed pedagogy university graduate who had also involved in another major drug smuggling case in the central province.

The case was tried on March 25 when he and another defendant, Hoang Van Quang, 43, got death sentence for smuggling nearly 7kg of heroin from Laos to Vietnam.

Thanh Nien

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