Man caught carrying 50 kg of meth in Lao border province

At 10 p.m., Ho Sy Nguyen, 52, was driving a Toyota Fortuner along Highway 7A in Anh Son District when he was stopped by anti-drug trafficking police in Nghe An.

While trying to evade officers, his car overturned, leading to his swift detainment, alongside 50 kg of methamphetamine.

The incident was part of the expanding investigation into an illegal drug trafficking ring in Nghe An that commenced earlier this month. The drugs were alleged to originate from Laos and would be transported and distributed across Vietnam.

Vietnam is a key trafficking hub for narcotics from the Golden Triangle, an intersection of China, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar and the world's second largest drug producing area behind the Golden Crescent in South Asia.

The repeated seizure of huge amounts of narcotics has been ongoing despite Vietnam having some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or cocaine or over 2.5 kg of methamphetamine could face capital punishment.

Production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of any other illegal substance is also punishable by death.

Also Friday, police in Ha Tinh Province, which neighbors Nghe An, detained two men after a car chase of over 15 km, following which they seized 31 kg of methamphetamine.