Xeng Vang at the first instance court on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG BÌNH — A Lao national was sentenced to death on Wednesday for trafficking more than 300kg of meth in Việt Nam.

According to the indictment of the People’s Court of central Quảng Bình Province, Xeng Vang, 24 years old, residing in Laos’ Bolikhamsai Province was hired by a Vietnamese man named Hạng A Chinh, 23 years old, residing in Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông to carry drugs from Hà Tĩnh Province to Đà Nẵng City.

He was promised to be paid US$10,000.

Xeng Vang admitted that apart from the money, Chinh vowed to buy him a return ticket to Laos. Chinh also told him to run away from him if they were detected, and threatened to harm Xeng Vang’s family if he told the police about Chinh.

The two were caught by police for speeding while driving their car on the National Highway 1A section crossing Lệ Thủy District, Quảng Bình Province on October 12 last year.

The police searched their vehicle and found 308.6kg of meth hidden inside teabags.

The two fled into a nearby forest after the drugs were found.

Xeng Vang was arrested the next day and confessed Chinh told him to carry meth hidden in the car but did not know the exact type and amount of drugs he was hired to transport.

The police have issued a wanted warrant for Chinh.

In Việt Nam, those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600g of heroin or cocaine or more than 2.5kg of meth face the death penalty. — VNS