Six arrested in drug smuggling busts over the weekend

• Da Nang urged to get real about rising drug use following 2 murders
• Heroin smugglers seized in Vietnam, Laos joint operation

Six Vietnamese and Laotian people were arrested for smuggling heroin and marijuana on Saturday as Vietnamese authorities increased their crackdown on criminals.

Police in the northern province of Phu Tho arrested four men at 11 p.m. on Saturday who were carrying about 100kg of heroin in two cars in Viet Tri. 

Vang A Cang (42), Mua A La (43), Mua A Sau (30) and Vang A Du (28) all come from the Moc Chau District in the mountainous province of Son La, which borders Laos.

Cang, the gang leader, had promised to pay La and Sau VND100 million ($4,327) each, and Du VND200 million ($8,654).

Also on Saturday, border guards and police in Vietnam’s central province of Ha Tinh detained two Laotian men for smuggling about 60kg of marijuana across the border.

The men, 31 and 17, were arrested near Vietnam’s Can Treo International Border Gate in Ha Tinh Province at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

The Laotians said they intended to carry the drugs from Laos to sell in Vietnam.

On October 24, two other Laotian men were also arrested in Vietnam’s central province of Thanh Hoa for smuggling nearly 23kg of heroin across the border.

Vietnam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 75 kilograms of marijuana, more than 600 grams of heroin, more than five kilograms of hashish, or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty.

The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death.

Although the laws are strictly enforced with capital punishment handed down regularly, drug running continues in border areas. Several drug raids are reported at the Vietnam-Laos border every month.

Related news:

> Da Nang urged to get real about rising drug use following 2 murders

> Heroin smugglers seized in Vietnam, Laos joint operation