The punishment imposed on heroin traffickers is to...

The punishment imposed on heroin traffickers is to be reduced, the vice chief justice of the Criminal Court Dinh Van Que said. Only those found guilty of trafficking more than 600g of heroin will be sentenced to death, whereas up to now those found guilty of trafficking more than 100g get the death penalty or life in jail in line with article 4, provision 185 of the Criminal Law (1985).
The People's Supreme Court (PSC) recently issued a resolution guiding the implementation of six Criminal Law regulations. The new guidelines envisage a 20-year jail term for defendants guilty of trafficking from 100g to 300g, life in jail for trafficking 300g to 600g, and capital punishment for 600g and upwards.
Imposing heavy punishment on drug traffickers has not helped reduce the crime, Que said. Over the past few years, the number of drug traffickers sentenced to death has increased but the activity remains on the rise. So the best way now is to seek preventative measures for the vice, he said. Que added that these guidelines are only effective to courts, and serve as reference for investigators and the procuracy.
The Minister for Public Security Le The Tiem said that the prison population in Vietnam is on the rise, with convicts jailed for drug-related crimes accounting for the highest percentage at 26.5%.