The People’s Court of Dien Bien on August 15 sentenced to death sixdefendants in the biggest drug trafficking case in the northern provinceto date.

According to the indictment, ten persons formed anetwork that transported more than 120kg of heroin via Laos to Hanoi andLang Son en route to China, between November 2012 and May 2013.

Eight of them are from Thanh Yen commune of Dien Bien province and two others are from Cao Loc district in Lang Son province.

Four others were handed sentences that ranged from life terms to 170 to 20 years in jails.

Inrelated news, Hai Phong Police and security officers from Cat BiAirport announced on August 14 they had temporarily detained Nguyen TheAnh, a 30-year-old, from Hai Phong city, who was transporting three kgof methamphetamine.

The same day, Ho Chi Minh City Policeannounced they had busted a large scale drug trafficking ring led byNguyen Thi Miet, alias Dung.

The 80-year-old ring leader wasarrested on June 26 at her residence in District 10 while receiving 10cakes of heroin (a cake is equivalent to 350 grams) from Ngo Van Thanh51, residing in Go Vap district.

The police also discovered and seized two more cakes of heroin and 92,000 USD at her house.

Miet confessed that she regularly ordered a large volume of the drug from a man called Dung and then sold them in the city.

The cases are being investigated further.

UnderVietnam law, smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin, or producing orselling 100 grams of heroin will result in the death penalty.-VNA