Ho Chi Minh City court begins trial for 227 in VN10 drug case

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court has commenced the trial of 227 defendants involved in the VN10 drug case, a massive criminal network involving the trafficking, sale, and organized use of narcotics. The investigation expanded from a March 2023 incident where four flight attendants were found to have transported over 11kg of drugs from France to Vietnam, concealed within toothpaste tubes and cosmetics.

The trial is being conducted online, connecting the main court headquarters with the Chi Hoa Detention Center to manage the large number of defendants. Notable defendants include singer Nguyen Trung Hieu (Chi Dan), model Andrea Aybar Carmona (An Tay), and Nguyen Do Truc Phuong. Nearly 100 lawyers are participating in the defense. The proceedings are expected to last several weeks.

Separately, in Thanh Hoa province, local police have conducted multiple operations resulting in the arrest of 10 individuals across four different drug-related cases. These operations included the seizure of heroin, methamphetamine, and pink pills, as well as the discovery of a military firearm during one arrest.