Pham Trung Dung in court (Photo tienphong.vn)HCM City (VNA) - An appeal court in Ho Chi Minh City on April 17upheld the death sentence of a Vietnamese-born Australian national fortrafficking heroin.
Pham Trung Dung, 40, was arrested on May 17, 2013, as he and hispartner were about to board a flight to Australia, after authorities at Tan SonNhat International Airport found two packages containing a white powder hiddenin his suitcase.
It was later confirmed that the white powder Dung was carrying was3.5kg of heroin.
Dung, who has lived in Australia since 2000, told the investigationbody that while he was visiting his family in HCM City, he met a person namedKien, who has not yet been identified. Dung said that at Kien’s request heagreed to carry two suitcases to Australia and hand them over to a man namedLoi for 40,000 AUD (600 million VND).
On August 24, 2016, at the second hearing, the HCM City People’sCourt found Dung guilty and handed him a death sentence.
On April 17, the HCM City Superior Court said Dung and his lawyershad failed to put forth new evidence or circumstances for the ruling to becommuted.
The court also upheld the decision that his partner was innocentas there is no evidence to show that she was an accomplice.-VNA
Pham Trung Dung, 40, was arrested on May 17, 2013, as he and hispartner were about to board a flight to Australia, after authorities at Tan SonNhat International Airport found two packages containing a white powder hiddenin his suitcase.
It was later confirmed that the white powder Dung was carrying was3.5kg of heroin.
Dung, who has lived in Australia since 2000, told the investigationbody that while he was visiting his family in HCM City, he met a person namedKien, who has not yet been identified. Dung said that at Kien’s request heagreed to carry two suitcases to Australia and hand them over to a man namedLoi for 40,000 AUD (600 million VND).
On August 24, 2016, at the second hearing, the HCM City People’sCourt found Dung guilty and handed him a death sentence.
On April 17, the HCM City Superior Court said Dung and his lawyershad failed to put forth new evidence or circumstances for the ruling to becommuted.
The court also upheld the decision that his partner was innocentas there is no evidence to show that she was an accomplice.-VNA
VNA
