VIETNAM. 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING

the Ho Chi Minh City Court sentenced three members of a drug trafficking ring to death and two others to life imprisonment after a three day trial. Receiving the death penalty were Nguyen Thanh Mai, a 40 year old resident of HCM City's District 1; Van Toan, 35, of Binh Thanh District; and Nguyen Thuy Ngoc Bang, 25, of Go Vap District. Two were sentenced to life in prison and sentences of 13 to 20 years were handed down to six others.
According to the court's verdict, between March 2002 and June 2003, the ring members trafficked 5.28 kg of heroin and gave it to a Vietnamese Australian named Kai to sell abroad.