Over Twenty New Accusations In Massive Hanoi Drug Case

Police aim to charge at least six more cops in a drug case that has already seen 55 drug traffickers and police officers convicted, three having been slapped with the death penalty.

The original fifty-five were sentenced in February and police are now seeking indictments against 23 others.

In this second phase of the notorious Hanoi Hai Ba Trung district drug case, central police are looking to charge Nguyen Dinh Tieng, a former Hanoi investigator, for allegedly accepting over US$20,000 in bribes from and to protect traffickers.

Police also aim to charge Nguyen The Quang, another cop who purportedly received VND3 million ($187.5) and four other local cops suspected of taking another VND40 million ($2,500) in total.

A Hanoi court had earlier sentenced the drug ring kingpin Cao Thi Lan and her two henchmen to death for trafficking over 32 kg of heroin. Ten others received life imprisonment for trading around 19.6 kg of heroin in the first leg of the case.

Seven Hanoian cops on the take received jail terms ranging from seven to 17 years for accepting up to VND109 million (US$6,817) to abet the gang’s clandestine activities.

The gang, smashed in 2004, is one of the largest ever busted in the country.

Vietnam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Possessing, trading, or trafficking 600 grams (1.32 lbs) of heroin is punishable by death.