Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced an Australian-Vietnamese woman to 30 years in jail and fined her about $20,000 for trying to smuggle nearly two kilograms of heroin from Cambodia to Australia at Phnom Penh International Airport last year. Presiding Judge Khun Sokna, identified her as Tran Ve Thi, 39, a tourist. She was charged with possessing and transporting drugs under article 40 of the Cambodian Law on Control of Drugs.

“Based on the hearing and evidence, the court found the accused Tran Ve Thi’s guilty and decided to convict her and sentence her to 30 years in prison,” Judge Sokna said. “The court also ordered her to pay 80 million riles [about $ 20,000] to put in the state’s budget.” Judge Sokna added that Ms Tran was arrested on January 6 last year at the Phnom Penh International Airport. After her arrest, police seized nearly two kilograms of heroin from her.

During Ms Tran’s trial on April 9, Lieutenant Colonel Hun Sothy, the Interior Ministry’s Anti-Transnational Crimes Department’s deputy chief, told the court that she worked for an international drug trafficker and had previously transported drugs from Cambodia for sale in Australian casinos in 2017.

 

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why would she pay the fine unless it effects her prison sentence. are they saying they will release her if she pays $20,000?