Ho Chi Minh City court trials 227 defendants in major drug case

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court is conducting the trial of 227 defendants involved in the VN10 drug case, a major investigation involving the transport of narcotics from France to Vietnam. The large-scale case has been split into 20 separate trials covering various offenses, including the sale and transport of dozens of kilograms of drugs and the organization of drug use.

During the proceedings on August 25, defense lawyers presented arguments for several defendants. For Andrea Aybar Carmona, a Spanish national living in Vietnam, the lawyer cited a lack of parental guidance and limited legal awareness due to an incomplete education as factors for the court to consider during sentencing.

In another segment of the trial, the defense for Nguyen Do Truc Phuong requested leniency. Phuong faces a proposed sentence of 6 to 7 years for organizing illegal drug use. Her lawyer highlighted her history of community charity work and her cooperation with investigators as mitigating factors.