A Kenyan woman has been sentenced to death in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, after being convicted of trafficking over 2 kilograms of cocaine through Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
On Thursday, March 6, the HCMC People’s Court handed down the verdict to 37-year-old Macharia Margaret Nduta for drug trafficking.
Nduta was apprehended in July 2023 when more than 2.3 kilograms of cocaine were discovered concealed in her luggage upon her arrival at the airport.
The drugs had an estimated value of around Ksh27 million in the international market.
In Kenya, a kilogram of cocaine is worth between sh4 million and Ksh5 million, while the price on the international market can soar to as high as sh12 million, according to authorities.
Court documents reveal that Nduta was hired by a man named John from Kenya in July 2023 to transport a suitcase to Laos in Southeast Asia.
The suitcase was to be handed over to a woman, and Nduta was instructed to bring back “goods” from her.
Nduta was reportedly paid $1,300 (about sh167,700), and her travel expenses were covered.
Nduta began her journey on July 7, passing through several countries before transiting at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on July 14.
She had flown from Nairobi, stopped in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Doha (Qatar), before arriving in Vietnam.
Due to the late arrival of her flight, airport officials assisted her with entry procedures to help book her onward flight to Laos.
However, during immigration, authorities discovered the cocaine concealed inside her suitcase.
The drugs, weighing a total of 2.34 kilograms, were hidden in the top and bottom sections of the luggage.
In court, Nduta claimed she was unaware of the drugs in the suitcase. However, prosecutors dismissed her statement, labeling it an attempt to avoid responsibility for the crime.
They argued that Nduta must be held accountable for trafficking the drugs.
Under the Vietnamese Penal Code, trafficking narcotics is punishable by prison terms ranging from two to 20 years, a life sentence, or the death penalty, depending on the severity of the offense.
Vietnam, a significant drug trafficking hub in the Golden Triangle region which includes China, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar enforces some of the harshest drug laws in the world.
Individuals convicted of smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or cocaine, or over 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, can face the death penalty.
HCMC, due to its proximity to Cambodia, is a major transit point for smugglers.
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