Two suspended police officers in Hanoi have been sentenced to death for their roles in a major cross-border drug trafficking ring involving nearly 140 kilograms of narcotics. Ha Minh Duc, 40, formerly with the Long Bien District Police Drug Investigation Unit, and Nguyen Van Hung, 44, from the Duc Giang Ward police, were convicted of helping transport and conceal large quantities of drugs while also assisting the criminal network by using their official positions.
The Hanoi People’s Court also handed down nine other death sentences, including to the alleged ringleader, Nguyen The Thanh, 33, and his younger brother Nguyen The Lap, 25. Nguyen Thi Kim Huong, 42, who played a central role in distributing the drugs, received a life sentence due to being a single mother with young children. Huong and seven of her associates were found guilty of “illegal drug trafficking,” a crime that remains a capital offense under Vietnamese law, despite recent reforms abolishing the death penalty for certain other crimes like corruption and espionage.
The trafficking operation, which began in 2019, involved moving large amounts of drugs from Laos into Vietnam through the Cau Treo border gate in Ha Tinh Province. The drugs were hidden in household items such as a vacuum cleaner and brought to Hanoi by passenger buses. Once in the city, the gang operated discreetly using coded signals, and the two police officers provided logistical support. Hung transported drugs using official police vehicles and allowed them to be stored at his home. Duc not only helped with storage and transport but also traveled to Hue to coordinate operations with Thanh and advised Huong on how to evade detection when one member of the gang was arrested.
Investigators revealed that Hung was responsible for moving 37 kilograms of drugs and earned VND740 million (approximately US$28,000), while Duc was linked to the transport and sale of 134.8 kilograms and earned VND1.3 billion (about US$49,500). Both officers were introduced to other gang members by Huong, who leveraged her supposed close ties with police to instill confidence within the group.
Nguyen The Thanh, identified as the mastermind of the network, earned an estimated VND5 billion (around US$190,800) from the operation. Huong, the distributor, sold drugs in Hanoi and Bac Ninh, reportedly making over VND4 billion. Nine of the twelve defendants had prior drug convictions, and Thanh along with three of his subordinates had already been sentenced to death in unrelated trafficking cases. Huong had previously received a life sentence in 2023 for a separate drug offense.
The court described the case as “especially egregious,” not only because of the massive quantity of narcotics involved but also due to the involvement of police officers who used their authority to enable the operation. Duc and Hung were suspended last year after the Supreme People’s Procuracy initiated legal proceedings. Authorities continue to urge vigilance and have vowed to pursue severe penalties against any individuals, including public officials, involved in organized drug crimes.
