HANOI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese police on Monday detained seven people from Vietnam's northern Dien Bien province for transporting a total of nearly five kg of opium from Laos to Vietnam.
Among the seven detainees, Chang A Thao, born in 1980 in Dien Biens Muong Nhe district, was caught red-handed when transporting the biggest amount of opium -- 1.5 kilogram, the provincial police said.
The detainees crossed borders to work as manual laborers in Laos and then used their wages to buy opium and come back to Vietnam for resale.
According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty.
