A court in Vietnam has sentenced a former military officer in Ho Chi Minh City to death for leading a transnational drug ring that trafficked 97kg of synthetic drugs from France to Vietnam in the 2021-23 period.

The Military Court of Military Zone 7 has recently announced the sentences for 34-year-old Le Minh Tri and his 15 accomplices after these defendants were brought to court for trial on drug-related charges.

Among the 15 accomplices of the man, two also received death sentences, six got a whole-life order, and seven others were given prison terms ranging from three and a half years to 20 years for the offenses of trading of narcotic substances and other charges.

The two defendants facing the death penalty as Tri are Thai Cam Tam, 33, and Tran Hai Ly, 38, both of Ho Chi Minh City, who were the right-hand men of Tri in the criminal ring. 

The ring was uncovered on April 24, 2023, when the city police found a ring member delivering drugs to a buyer under Tam’s direction.

According to the indictment, Tri suffered a loss-making business several years ago and came up with the idea of drug trafficking to earn money for repaying debts and spending on personal needs.

Through his social relations, Tri got acquainted with two persons named Bo and Kenny, who are both Vietnamese with French nationality living in France, and then discussed the purchase of MDMA and ketamine, two types of synthetic drugs.

According to their agreement, Bo and Kenny would deliver the drugs ordered by Tri to an address designated by Tri in Ho Chi Minh City.

Under the scheme, from October 2021 to April 2023, Tri bought a total of 97kg of MDMA and ketamine from Bo and Kenny and paid them VND29.6 billion ($1.18 million) for the banned goods.

During the period, Tri directed and instructed Tam and Ly to add additives to every shipment of drugs bought from France to make them into synthetic drug products in tablet and liquid forms in order to gain higher profits.

With such a trick, the ring increased the total weight of drugs from 97kg to 227kg and sold their blended drug products to market for some VND35.8 billion ($1.43 million), earning a profit of some VND6.2 billion (nearly $245,000).

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