Vietnam sentences 11 to death for smuggling drugs in toothpaste from France

A Vietnamese court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced eleven people to death and over 200 others to prison on Thursday, September 3, for drug trafficking involving synthetic drugs hidden in toothpaste imported from France. The court tried 227 defendants in one of the country's largest collective drug cases. Nineteen people received life sentences, while others received terms ranging from 18 months suspended to 29 years. The network's alleged mastermind, tried in absentia, was among those sentenced to death. Authorities dismantled the ring in early 2023 after customs officers discovered eleven kilograms of MDMA and ketamine concealed in over 150 toothpaste tubes at Ho Chi Minh City airport. The tubes were shipped from France by four Vietnam Airlines employees who were not prosecuted due to lack of evidence they knew the contents.