Nguyễn Thị Vân (left) and Nguyễn Thị Vững in court on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Two women were on Wednesday sentenced to a total 13 and a half years in prison for planting drugs in a man’s car.

Nguyễn Thị Vân was alleged to have placed narcotics in the car belonging to her ex-boyfriend, Nguyễn Văn Thiện.

Vân, who was the mastermind behind the plot, was sentenced to one and a half years for slander and five years for illegal possession of drugs.

In Vietnamese law, slander is charged for the act of accusing a person of a fabricated crime and reporting it to the authorities.

Former Senior Lieutenant Nguyễn Thị Vững, a 37-year-old narcotics police officer, accused of helping Vân put the drugs in Thiện's car, was sentenced to seven years in prison for the same two charges.

In October 2016, Vân paid Vững VNĐ1 billion (US$43,500) to help put her ex-boyfriend in jail as she was jealous over his romantic relationships with other women.

Vững sent the drugs to Vân, which were then put inside Thiện’s car.

A week later, while en route to Vân’s house, Thiện was stopped by police after a tip-off from Vân and Vững. Police later found the narcotics in his vehicle, which resulted in his detainment.

However, after being taken into custody, Thiện was released as the police could not find sufficient evidence to charge him with drug possession.

Thiện suspected the incident was set up by his girlfriend. He spied on her and collected text messages between Vân and Vững about their plot, which he then forwarded to police.

The two women were subsequently arrested. — VNS