Man caught with 200 kilos of drugs in central Vietnam

The man, whose identity is yet to be revealed, is a native of the northern province of Lao Cai.

Early Saturday, he was driving northward in a Hanoi registered Ford Everest car from Thanh Chuong District in Nghe An when he stopped at a toll gate in the province’s Hoang Mai Town. It was there that he was apprehended by police and military forces who found 227 kilos of drugs, including 48 kilos of meth.

Police said the drugs could have originated in Laos and that the man was a transporter. They are expanding their investigation.

Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine can face the death penalty in Vietnam. The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is punishable likewise.

However, despite having some of the world's toughest drug laws, drug busts remain a frequent occurrence in Vietnam.

Drugs seized by Vietnamese police are usually destroyed after the case is concluded.