VietNamNet Bridge – Six members of a transnational drug smuggling ring received the death sentence on Thursday in northern Quang Ninh Province.

The accused at the court hearing. — VNA/VNS Photo

The accused include ring leader Hoang Van Tien, Bui Dang Duc, Tran Duc Viet, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hanh, Nguyen Toan Thang and Hoang Van Bac.

Tien’s wife, Tran Thu Hang, and Nguyen Thi Hoa were sentenced to life imprisonment, while two others were sentenced to 20 years in prison each.

The traffickers were part of one of the five rings involved in trafficking drugs from Laos to Viet Nam and selling them to China and vice versa, according to People’s Procuracy of Quang Ninh Province.

The rings were active in Hanoi and in the northern provinces of Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Lang Son.

Between 2003 and 2013, the rings had smuggled more than 5,000 cakes of heroin, 35,200 synthetic drug pills and more than 1kg of Methamphetamine.

In 2014, People’s Procuracy of Quang Ninh Province sentenced 30 smugglers to death, 13 to life imprisonment and 46 others to up to 20 years in prison for smuggling drugs, storing weapons for military use, forging fake documents and taking bribes.

In late 2016, 25 others involved in the cases were charged. 

Source: VNS