3 get death, 2 get life in northern Vietnam

By Phan Anh October 7, 2019 | 04:38 am PT

Drugs and other evidence seized in a drug bust. Photo courtesy of Vietnam News Agency.

A Son La Province court Monday handed out three capital punishments, two life terms and one 18-year sentence for trading in drugs.

Ha Van Thanh, 38, Lo Thi Lap, 45 and Ha Thi Thanh, 41, were sentenced to death, while Hoang Van Hung, 23 and Nguyen Van Hieu, 43, were sentenced to life in prison. Bui Minh Quang, 18, was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Another suspect, Tran Phuong Lan of Hanoi, is still on the run.

In July last year, a police raid on Thanh’s house in Muong Sang Commune, Moc Chau District, netted over 7.6 kg of heroin and meth, prosecutors said.

Further investigation led to the arrests of Quang, Hung, Lap, Thanh and Hieu. All of them were charged with trading drugs.

Quang was found to have traded over 21 kg of heroin and meth, Thanh, 6.2 kg; Lap, 3.5 kg; Thanh, 3 kg; and Hieu, 2.5 kg.

Despite the country having some of the world's toughest drug laws, including death for smuggling and trading, drug operations continue to be busted almost every week.