DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD ON SEVEN FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING, PRODUCING

the People's Supreme Court in Son La, Vietnam, upheld death sentences for seven defendants on the charges of producing, trading and transporting large volumes of drugs. Trinh Nguyen Thuy, Dang Van Au, Le Van Tinh, Ngo Trung Hieu, Pham Xuan Tho, Vu Hong Diep and Pham Khac Hung, were handed down death penalties by the People's Court of northern Son La province last January. Thuy, born in 1958, and arrested in August 2005 when he was director of a local company, and his accomplices were accused of trafficking 216 kg of heroin and 199.5 kg of opium, and producing 48 kg of heroin. The defendants were each fined between 10-500 million VND. cond reordnvdro metimp