Vietnam, among other Southeast Asian Country, is unforgiving about crimes related to drugs. Trafficking 100 grams or more of heroin or cocaine is punishable by death.
Also read: Nearly 100 Kilograms Ecstasy Seized in Cambodia as SEA Countries Continue to Fight Drugs Smuggling
The latest is a death sentence for a South African man guilty of trafficking 1.5kg of cocaine into the country.
Coetzee Tyron Lee was convicted in a half day trial, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Law newspaper.
As cited by The South African, Lee is believed to have travelled from South Africa to Brazil, where he received a black backpack.
He transited to Dubai before making it to Vietnam on June 9, 2016, where he was arrested at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport after it was found that he was carrying the sizable amount of drugs in his luggage.
After an intense period of interrogation, Lee admitted having been intentionally trying to smuggle the illicit drug into the country. This is the nail in the coffin for his case against the state.
Lee revealed that he was hired by a Nigerian man who promised to award him $3,500 for a successful job.
Currently, there are more than 20 foreigners in Vietnam prisons serving life terms, and others death, for their active participation in trying to traffic drugs into the country.
Many people from all walks of life travel to Vietnam to experience the party scene, which is riddled with drugs that are known to be extremely potent.
Source: Bangkok Post, The South African