The two defendants during the trial. —VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG TRỊ — Two citizens of Laos were sentenced to death by the Quảng Trị Provincial People's Court on Friday for illegal trading of over 45kg of drugs.

One of the two defendants, Thongvang, 35, was also prosecuted for the 'illegal possession of military weapons'.

On August 22, 2021, Tongleng Lo, 33, was hired by a friend, Chu Lo, to transport 45.6kg of methamphetamine from Laos to Việt Nam for six million Laotian kips (US$348.70).

His brother-in-law Thongvang was hired for $5,000 to act as a guard for the trip and was given a rubber bullet gun with six military-grade bullets.

At around 4.30pm on the same day, the patrol team of Hướng Lập Border Guard Station and the drug crime task force (under the provincial Border Guard) arrested the two criminals, confiscating their weapons, ammunition and two large packages of drugs.

Several drug smugglers and dealers managed to escape.

According to Quảng Trị Provincial People’s Procuracy, these crimes are a danger to society, violating the government’s laws on drugs and weapons management, affecting security and order in the border areas.

Therefore, they must be strictly handled. — VNS