Two men from Gia Lai Province, Nguyen Tien Quang (26) and Vo Phi Son (31), have been sentenced to death by a Ho Chi Minh City court for trafficking over 30 kilograms of ecstasy hidden in coffee machines imported by mail.
The court found that the duo were working for a Germany-based ringleader known only as “Cot”, who remains at large. The drugs were smuggled into Vietnam in postal packages disguised as household appliances.
In November 2022, the pair received a shipment of 10,000 ecstasy pills weighing over 7 kg and delivered them to a customer. Son was paid approximately VND100 million ($3,900), while Quang received VND50 million ($1,950).
Authorities had been monitoring them. On December 15, 2022, police caught Quang red-handed accepting three more packages in Go Vap District, each containing thousands of ecstasy tablets—weighing more than 22.5 kilograms in total.
A search of Quang’s home led to additional seizures, including drugs he had bought online to resell. Son fled after Quang’s arrest and was later found trafficking drugs for a Cambodian contact. He was caught in July 2024.
Both were convicted of “illegal transportation of narcotic substances”, and their execution orders reflect Vietnam’s harsh penalties for large-scale drug offenses.
