Vietnam‘s state media announced the death sentences of 18 people, including two South Koreans, convicted of drug smuggling and trafficking.
The communist nation, known for having some of the most rigorous drug laws globally, is notoriously tight-lipped about its execution procedures.
After a four-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City, South Korean ex-police officer Kim Soon-sik, 63, and compatriot Kang Seon-hok, 30, received death sentences, as reported by state media.
Also receiving death sentences were Chinese citizen Li Tian Guan, 58, and alleged Vietnamese ringleader Le Ho Vu, 36.
Fourteen additional people were handed death sentences in connection with the case after the trial in the Family and Juvenile Court, under Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court.
The group, according to state media news site Cong an Nhan dan, unlawfully stored, trafficked, and traded more than 216kg of drugs between May and June 2020.
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Over 168 kilograms (370 pounds) of “all kinds of drugs” were seized, as reported, without specifying the type.
Cong an Nhan dan reported that, according to Vu, the narcotics were trafficked from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, with some consumed domestically and others transported to South Korea.
The reported indictment indicates that on July 19, officers discovered the operation in Ho Chi Minh City while inspecting a container truck in the final stages of customs clearance for shipment to South Korea.
The search revealed “40 plastic packages holding white crystals, with a combined weight of 39.5kg of methamphetamine.”
Reports from state media indicate that Vu was sentenced for “unlawful drug transportation” and “the use of fake seals or documents from organizations.
“According to state media, convictions for “illegal drug possession,” “illicit drug trading,” “illegal drug trafficking,” and “organizing the illegal use of drugs” were handed down to the other 17 individuals.
Cong an Nhan dan reported that life imprisonment was imposed on three defendants for the offense of “illegal drug trafficking.”It was mentioned in the report that an individual who was under 18 years old was given a 15-year imprisonment sentence.
The information did not provide any indication of when the executions would be executed.