Hanoi police have arrested a woman accused of paying construction workers with heroin instead of cash.
Tran Thi Ban, 47, from Thuong Bang La Commune, Lao Cai Province, has been charged with illegal trading of narcotic substances and placed in pre-trial detention, according to Hanoi Police Department.
Tran Thi Ban and others at the workers' camp in Dai Mo Ward (Photo: Hanoi Police).
The investigation began after officers from Dai Mo Ward Police inspected workers' accommodation at the Duong Noi urban area in Hanoi on the evening of May 13.
Four construction workers tested positive for heroin. They were identified as Dinh Van Hung, 31, from Phu Tho Province, and Sung Nu Lenh, 44, Dang Phuc Minh, 46, and Sung A Sinh, 52, all from Lao Cai Province.
During questioning, the four men told investigators that Ban supplied them with heroin every day.
According to their statements, the cost of the drugs was deducted directly from their wages when they were paid at the end of each month.
Investigators summoned Ban for questioning on July 10. She denied the allegations.
However, police said evidence gathered during the investigation, together with witness statements, indicated that Ban had repeatedly provided heroin to the four workers as a form of payment for their labour.
The investigation is continuing.
