Vietnam Executes 11 in Major Drug Trafficking Case
Vietnam executed 11 people in one of its largest drug trafficking cases, with a total of 227 defendants sentenced after a network mastermind smuggled drugs from France through airline staff and disguised shipments.
A Vietnamese court has sentenced 11 people to death in one of the country's largest drug trafficking cases, according to BBC reporting on September 4. The group is among 227 total defendants, with sentences ranging from 18 months to life imprisonment. One of those sentenced to death is Ha Danh Nam, identified by investigators as the network's mastermind who sourced and smuggled drugs from France into Vietnam.
The case began in March 2023 when four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants traveling from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City were arrested carrying more than 10 kilograms of drugs hidden in 157 toothpaste tubes containing MDMA and ketamine. According to Bao Cong Le, the four flight attendants unknowingly transported the drugs, while Ha Danh Nam had concealed narcotics in consumer products including dietary supplements, laundry powder, mouthwash, and coffee, then had others pack them in luggage or use international shipping services from France to Vietnam.
Ha Danh Nam reportedly targeted Vietnamese nationals living or studying in France to serve as drug couriers. Prosecutors said the international drug network used encrypted messaging platforms and bank accounts registered under other people's names to facilitate smuggling. Transactions linked to the network were valued at nearly 29 trillion dong, or more than 36.234 billion baht. Another 20 defendants received life sentences on charges of buying, transporting, and establishing an illegal drug operation. Defendants received varying sentences based on their different roles in the network and the severity of their involvement.
