FW: Vietnam sentences 30 to death over drug smuggling #drugpolicy

BBC Asia
20 January, 2014


Vietnam sentences 30 to death over drug smuggling

A court in Vietnam has sentenced 30 people to death over heroin smuggling in
what is said to be the largest such trial ever held in the country.

The trial, over the smuggling of nearly two tonnes of heroin, began in Quang
Ninh province in early January.

Dozens of others were also given prison sentences from two years to life.

This is the largest-ever drug trial in Vietnam in terms of the number of
defendants and the death sentences given, says the BBC's Nga Pham.

A total of 89 defendants, including the 21 men and nine women who were
sentenced to death, were arrested last year on various charges.

They belong to different drug rings accused of smuggling the heroin from
Laos through Vietnam and China since 2006, state media report.

Presiding Judge Ngo Duc told AFP news agency that the trial was held at the
prison because of the seriousness of the case.

This is only the first stage of a special investigation carried out by Quang
Ninh police, and the extent of the crimes may be a lot larger, our
correspondent reports from neighbouring Bangkok.

Punishments for drug-related crimes in Vietnam are relatively harsh, but
this trial shows the immensity of drug trafficking problems in the country,
our correspondent adds.

At least 86 people were sentenced to death in 2012, with more than 500 on
death row in Vietnam, rights group Amnesty International said in its annual
report 2013.

--
Drugs & Democracy <drugs@tni.org>
Transnational Institute (TNI)
De Wittenstraat 25 1052 AK
P.O.Box 14656 1001 LD
Amsterdam - The Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 662 6608 / Fax: +31 20 675 7176 http://www.tni.org/drugs
http://www.undrugs.info http://www.druglawreform.info
www.facebook.com/drugsanddemocracy
_______________________________________________
Dd-world mailing list
https://lists.tni.org/mailman/listinfo/dd-world