In Ho Chi Minh City, 11 people were sentenced to death in a drug case
The People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City on September 3 handed down sentences in one of the largest drug trafficking cases in Vietnam. A total of 227 defendants stood trial, and the case was divided into 20 separate proceedings depending on the composition of the crimes and the roles of the participants.
11 people were sentenced to death. Another 19 defendants received life imprisonment, while the rest were given various prison terms, including suspended sentences. The sentences depended on each participant’s role and the severity of the crimes committed.
Case VN10 began after drugs were discovered in the luggage of four flight attendants who arrived from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City on March 16, 2023. During an inspection of 327 tubes of toothpaste, law enforcement found 157 tubes containing more than 10 kg of ketamine and MDMA. According to investigators, the flight attendants themselves did not know what was in the luggage.
After that, police expanded the investigation and uncovered an international supply network. The drugs were disguised as ordinary goods — hidden not only in toothpaste but also in packages of dietary supplements. The shipments were sent from France to Vietnam through cargo consolidation services and international express delivery.
The investigation established that members of the network organized several shipments. According to the prosecution, seven consignments linked to Ha Danh Nam arrived in Vietnam and were then distributed through intermediate points in Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong.
One of the key defendants was Ha Danh Nam, whom investigators identified as the organizer of the network. He was sentenced to death for illegal drug trafficking. Nam himself and several other suspects were fugitives at the time of the trial, so some of the defendants were convicted in absentia.
According to VnExpress, the investigation as a whole uncovered a network with operations totaling nearly 29 trillion dong (about $1.1 billion). This refers to the aggregate volume of transactions connected to the investigation, not the value of the seized drug shipment.
Source: https://english.vov.vn/en/society/11-sentenced-to-death-in-major-france-vietnam-drug-trafficking-case-post1329599.vov Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/crime/vietnam-sentences-11-to-death-in-1-1b-drug-case-involving-4-flight-attendants-5116200.html
