Man tries to swallow drug bag when accosted by police

Le Van Lang, 34, of Thach Ha District, is in custody for "illegal possession of narcotics", the police said Sunday. They had kept him under surveillance and moved in on March 25 when they believed he was on his way to deliver drugs.

Seeing the officers, Lang tried to swallow a plastic bag containing drugs. But they prevented him from doing so and forced him to spit it out.

Later they found 0.2273 grams of meth inside it.

Lang confessed he had been on his way to sell the meth.

Vietnam has stringent drug laws, among the strictest in the world, to combat the rising incidence of drug trafficking and usage.

Those found guilty of possessing or smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty.

But despite the harsh penalties, the country remains a key smuggling and trafficking hub, particularly for drugs from the Golden Triangle.