24 September 2003 :

Nguyen Thi Yen, a 41 year old woman convicted of drug trafficking, was sentenced to death in northern Vietnam. The court also gave life sentences to Vu Thi Hang, 53, and her daughter, Tran Thu Phuong, 29, and 15-year jail terms to Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh and Ha Thi Mang. It was alleged that the female network had trafficked 1.75 kilograms (3.85 pounds) of heroin from northern mountainous Son La province since March 2002. They were arrested in December 2002.