The Hanoi People's Court on May 13 handed down five death sentences to Quang Van Thanh (born 1994), Lo Ngoc Quyen (born 1997), Bac Cam Anh (born 1997), Tran Chi Thanh (born 1990), and Le Thanh Tam (born 1970) for illegal drug trafficking.
In the same case, 10 other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while 12 received jail terms of between 15 and 20 years for illegal drug trafficking and illegal transport of narcotics.
According to the indictment, at about 0.15 am on May 28, 2024, a task force from the Ministry of Public Security, working with other authorities, was on duty at kilometre 12 of National Highway 1A, through Thanh Tri Commune, Hanoi, when it spotted a car driven by Nguyen An Dai showing signs of transporting drugs.
When officers signalled for the vehicle to stop, Dai failed to comply, forcing the task force to fire warning shots to bring the situation under control before taking the driver and vehicle to headquarters for inspection.
Drugs seized in the case by the authorities (Photo: Police).
A search of the car uncovered a carton containing more than 10.8 kilogrammes of drugs. Investigators said Nguyen An Dai told them he had been hired by Nguyen Tien Thanh to transport the narcotics from the Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway rest stop to the Yen So park area for delivery to another person.
Earlier, on the evening of March 7, 2024, authorities caught Hoang Van Tin red-handed while delivering three cartons containing various drugs to Vi Van Luong near Nuoc Ngam bus station in Hanoi.
As the investigation widened, authorities determined that from April 2022 to September 2024, the defendants had colluded with several suspects in Laos to buy and transport drugs illegally from Laos into Vietnam, before distributing them in Ho Chi Minh City and several other provinces and cities.
The total volume of drugs linked to the ring was put at more than 158 kilogrammes, including heroin, ketamine, methamphetamine and MDMA.
Prosecutors said Quang Van Thanh became acquainted with a Lao man named Keo in Vientiane around April 2022.
The two then discussed transporting drugs from Laos into Vietnam for profit.
Keo was responsible for bringing the drugs to Dien Bien Province, while Thanh hired couriers, arranged deliveries and then distributed the narcotics.
Proceedings found that Quang Van Thanh had repeatedly trafficked nearly 60 kilogrammes of heroin, more than 47 kilogrammes of ketamine, nearly 27 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and 89.6 grammes of MDMA, making illicit gains of more than VND 1 billion (USD 39,000).
Bac Cam Anh was accused of trafficking nearly 49 kilogrammes of heroin, more than 30 kilogrammes of ketamine and nearly 16 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, making VND 235 million (USD 9,100).
Lo Ngoc Quyen was found to have trafficked more than 26 kilogrammes of heroin, nearly 6 kilogrammes of ketamine and nearly 10 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, making VND 40 million (USD 1,550).
Meanwhile, Tran Chi Thanh was accused of repeatedly trafficking more than 1.7 kilogrammes of heroin, nearly 1.9 kilogrammes of ketamine and 47.64 grammes of methamphetamine, making VND 228 million (USD 8,800).
Le Thanh Tam was found to have trafficked more than 12 kilogrammes of heroin, nearly 1.9 kilogrammes of ketamine and 47.64 grammes of methamphetamine, making VND 115 million (USD 4,450).