The Vietnamese People's Supreme Court in November dismissed...

The Vietnamese People's Supreme Court in November dismissed five out of seven appeals by defendants in one of the biggest smuggling cases in the country, concerning the ring headed by Do Thi My Phuong.
The death sentence for Phuong, 43, was upheld and the other four defendants must still serve their three to five years in jail. Two appellants had their sentences commuted.
In August 2001, the first instance court handed down the death sentence to Phuong and between 4-and 14-year terms of imprisonment to 27 other defendants. Phuong and six others then lodged appeals with the Supreme Court.
Phuong and her accomplices allegedly earned hundreds of billions of dong from smuggling motorbikes, electrical products, car spare parts and foreign-made alcohol.