Death penalty proposed against drug baron Van Kinh Duong
Trial opened for major drug trafficking, production ring in HCM City

The HCM City People’s Procuracy yesterday asked agencies to conduct additional investigations into the case involving Van Kinh Duong, the leader of a drug trafficking and production ring. — VN/VNS Photo

The Procuracy last week proposed death penalties for six of the 10 defendants of the drug ring who were accused in 2017 of operating the largest drug trafficking and production ring in the country.

They included ring leader Van Kinh Duong, 39, of Hanoi; Le Van Mang, 32; Pham Bao Quan, 36; and drug dealers Nguyen Duc Ky Nam and Le Huong Giang, both 31, and Nguyen Dac Huy.

The Procuracy proposed a death penalty for ring leader Duong for illegal production of drugs, an eight to nine-year sentence for cheating to misappropriate assets; one to two years for making counterfeit seals as well as phony documents of agencies and organizations; and one to two years for escaping from detention.

The procuracy also proposed a death sentence for Le Van Mang for illegal production of drugs and a life sentence for drug dealing.

In addition, it proposed a death penalty for Pham Ba Quan, Nguyen Duc Ky Nam, Le Huong Giang, and Nguyen Dac Huy for drug production, and carrying and dealing drugs.

The court plans to also issue a decision on the charge of defendant Vu Hoang Anh Ngoc, alias Ngoc Miu (Duong’s so-called fancy woman), who was charged with “illegally storing drugs”.

A death penalty was also proposed for defendant Pham Bao Quan for illegally producing drugs and a life sentence for drug dealing.

VNS