Nine Sentenced to Death in Vietnam for Smuggling Drugs from Cambodia

Photo by VnExpress/Binh Nguyen

Nine people have been sentenced to death in Vietnam for their involvement in a major drug trafficking operation that smuggled 91 kilograms of narcotics from Cambodia.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court on Saturday found Tran Hoang Tin, 39, guilty of leading the network, which hid drugs inside air purifiers and motorbikes to evade detection. Alongside Tin, La Gia Cuong, 55, and seven other accomplices received death sentences for drug trading offences, with Cuong also convicted of drug storage.

According to court records, Tin orchestrated the smuggling operation by liaising with contacts in both Vietnam and Cambodia. In October 2022, he purchased ten packages of drugs concealed within six air purifiers from a supplier in Cambodia. When his intended buyer rejected the drugs for poor quality, Tin sourced a new supply through Cuong, maintaining the practice of using household appliances for concealment.

The investigation uncovered a broader web of trafficking activities. Tin also collaborated with Nguyen Van Can, who distributed narcotics across Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Thuan Province. Police arrested Can in April 2023, seizing over 21 kilograms of drugs hidden in vehicles, with further raids uncovering another 30 kilograms.

Authorities stated the group smuggled more than 91 kilograms of illegal substances between December 2022 and April 2023, earning Tin illicit profits of around VND1.3 billion (£39,900).

Vietnam enforces some of the world’s harshest drug laws, with trafficking as little as 600 grams of heroin or cocaine punishable by death. This latest case highlights the country’s firm stance against narcotics crime, especially cross-border smuggling from Cambodia.

-2025-04-28