On Thursday, the Da Nang People’s Court sentenced 57-year-old Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan and 41-year-old Tran Thi Bich Lien, both from Ha Noi, to life imprisonment and 18 years in prison respectively for illegally trading in drugs.  A prison term of 20 years was also handed down to 34-year-old Noy from Laos for his involvement in this transnational drug trafficking ring.

According to the indictment from the city’s prosecutors, on 13 November 2012 Lan and Lien, who cohabited with Lan’s son, flew to Da Nang to receive nearly 2kg of methamphetamine from Lan’s younger sister, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thanh, who lived in Laos.

Lien, Noy and Lan (from left to right) (Photo: dantri.com.vn)

Thanh had given 1,000 USD and 200 Thai baht to Noy for smuggling the drugs, which were hidden in a package, from Laos to Da Nang.  She also hired Ngo Van Khoi, who lives in Laos, to work as an interpreter in the case.

Lan and Lien booked a room at a hotel on Hung Vuong Street where they received the drugs from Noy.

Then, when the 2 women were on their way to the city’s railway station to return to their hometown with the drugs, they were arrested by police officers from the Police Department for Investigation of Drug-related Crimes under the Ministry of Public Security and from the municipal Department of Police.  Meanwhile, Noy and Khoi were captured in the hotel.

The jury exempted Khoi from criminal responsibility and released him because he did not know what the package contained.

A search is still underway for Thanh.