• Vietnam sentences 11 people to death in a major drug trafficking case involving 227 defendants.
• The case started after flight attendants were found carrying drugs hidden in toothpaste tubes.
• Authorities uncovered a large transnational drug network linking France to Vietnam.

A court in Vietnam sentenced 11 individuals to death in one of the country's largest drug trafficking cases, with a total of 227 defendants involved. Among those sentenced were the ringleaders of the operation, which smuggled synthetic drugs from France, according to Reuters, India Times, and BBC.

The investigation began in March 2023 when four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants were caught carrying over 10 kilograms of narcotics hidden in 157 toothpaste tubes. Authorities established that these attendants were unaware they were transporting drugs, as they believed they were carrying consumer goods, according to reports from India Times and Channel News Asia.

The drugs included MDMA and ketamine, and prosecutors highlighted that the trafficking network had considerable reach, utilizing encrypted messaging and complex logistics to transport drugs disguised within legitimate goods. Investigators estimated that transactions linked to this network amounted to nearly 29 trillion Vietnamese dong (approximately $1.1 billion), reports BBC, Reuters, and Channel News Asia.

This case reflects Vietnam's tough stance on drug-related crimes, where the death penalty is frequently applied to serious drug offenses. Following the trial, which included both in-person and online proceedings due to the number of defendants and lawyers, 19 others also received life sentences, confirming Vietnam's rigorous legal framework surrounding drug trafficking, according to Channel News Asia and India Times.