Vietnam sentences 9 convicted drug traffickers to death

By Bennett Murray

HANOI, Vietnam (AA) – A court in northern Vietnam has sentenced most of a smuggling ring to death after nine of its members were convicted of heroin trafficking.

The group, which was tried in Bac Ninh province near Hanoi, was said to have been led by 34-year-old Trang A Tang, reported the local Zing news site Wednesday.

Between 2009 and 2013, Tang and his group reportedly smuggled 626 kilograms (1,380 pounds) of heroin from Thailand and Laos to Vietnam, often by hiding the drugs in hidden compartments in luxury cars.

Three other partners in the operation were also convicted, including Tang’s wife Giang Thi Sua, 32, and father Trang A Chu, 58.

While Tang pleaded guilty, he maintained the innocence of his family members, according to the Phap Luat Vietnam newspaper. The judge, however, disagreed and sentenced both of them to life imprisonment.

Vietnam’s drug laws, which command the death penalty for trafficking 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of heroin, are some of the toughest in the world.