VIETNAM SENTENCED 55 PEOPLE TO DEATH ON DRUG CHARGES LAST YEAR

Vietnamese courts sentenced 55 people to death last year on drug-related
charges, state-controlled media reported Friday.

Fifty-nine other people were given life sentences for drug offenses and
2,241 others received jail terms ranging from seven to 20 years, the
official Vietnam News Agency said. No comparative figures were provided for
previous years.

In all, 5,948 drug-related cases were brought to trial last year, VNA said.

Officials detected 12,811 drug-related cases involving 21,103 suspects, an
increase of 24.4 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively, from the previous
year, according to VNA.

In 1997, Vietnam toughened penalties for drug-related crimes. Possessing,
trading or trafficking more than 3.5 ounces of heroin or 11 pounds of opium
are punishable by death. However, drug crimes show no sign of decline, and
Vietnam has 130,000 drug addicts with police records.