A Vietnamese man has been nabbed for smuggling a huge amount of crystal meth and a large number of drug pills from Laos into Vietnam.

Xong Dua Dong, 31, was arrested on Saturday near the Vietnam-Laos border when he was transporting 10kg of crystal meth and 20,000 synthetic drug pills in two packs in Ha Tinh Province.

He told Vietnamese police and border defense soldiers, who apprehended him in a raid at 3:00 pm, that he was hired to smuggle the drugs into Vietnam for US$500.

Dong is from the north-central province of Nghe An but he lives in Bolikhamsai Province in neighboring Laos, according to his testimony.

“This case, 476 LV, was established by Ha Tinh border defense soldiers three months ago with the determination of putting a stop to illegal drug transportation from Laos via Vietnam to a third country,” said Vo Trong Hai, a senior officer in Ha Tinh.

Under Article 194 of the Vietnamese Penal Code, twenty years of imprisonment, life imprisonment or capital punishment can be given to those who are convicted of illegally stockpiling, transporting, trading in or appropriating heroin or cocaine weighing one hundred grams or more.

Specifically, dealing, selling, buying or transporting 100-300g of illegal drugs can result in a penalty of up to 20 years in jail. Similarly, dealing in 300-600g can result in life sentences, and trading in more than 600g can lead to the capital punishment.

The same penalties are given to those who commit the crimes in one of the following circumstances: opium resin, marijuana resin or coca plasma weighing five kilograms or more; marijuana leaves, flowers, fruit or coca leaves weighing 75 kilograms or more; dried poppy fruit weighing 600 kilograms or more; fresh poppy fruit weighing 150 kilograms or more; other narcotic substances in solid form weighing 300 grams or more or in liquid form measuring 750 milliliters or more.

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