The mastermind of an extensive drug ring in Vietnam has been sentenced to death.

The People’s Court in the southern province of Binh Duong gave Do Xuan Loi, 34, hailing from the north-central province of Thua Thien- Hue, the death penalty at the conclusion of his trial on Tuesday afternoon.

Loi was the leader of a drug ring that operated across provinces from northern to southern Vietnam. He was charged with the sale and storage of drugs and the storage of military weapons.

Three other members of the ring, namely Truong Ngoc Huan, Loi’s brother in-law, Tran Hung Tam, and Tran Manh Hung, all received life sentences for the sale of drugs.

Four other members were given 20 year sentences each.

According to the indictment, in 2015, Loi and his accomplices transported a total of seven kilograms of drugs from the northern city of Hai Phong to the southern region before distributing it to local addicts in small bags, each weighing 50 to 100 grams.

Their trade was first uncovered after police in the southern province of Dong Nai arrested two men carrying 500 grams of drugs in their car after passing a tollgate on Bui Huu Nghia Street.

The two suspects claimed they had bought the products from Loi.

Police in Dong Nai later coordinated with their counterparts in Binh Duong Province to capture the mastermind and his associates.

An investigation revealed that they often bought flights to Hai Phong City and travelled back to Binh Duong on the train.

The gang was also equipped with guns, knives, and machetes to deal with potential obstructers during their commutes.

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