Kenyan Woman Gets Death Penalty in Vietnam for Drug Trafficking

A Kenyan woman in Vietnam's most populous metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City has been sentenced to death for trafficking over 2 kilograms of drugs through Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Vietnam online media outlet VnExpress, says Margaret Nduta, 37, (pictured) received the sentence from the HCMC People’s Court on Thursday 6 March for drug trafficking.

According to court papers, in July 2023, Nduta was hired by a man named only named as John from Kenya to transport a suitcase to Laos.

"The suitcase was supposed to be received by a woman, and Nduta was supposed to bring back "goods" from the woman. Nduta was paid $1,300 by John, and her plane tickets were also paid for," read the indictment.

Nduta travelled through different countries from July 7 before transiting at HCMC's Tan Son Nhat Airport on July 14.

As the flight arrived late, airport employees instructed Nduta to perform procedures to enter Vietnam, so they could help her book a ticket to Laos.

During immigration, authorities found over 2 kg of drugs hidden inside Nduta's suitcase.

In court, Nduta said she did not detect drugs upon receiving the suitcase.

However prosecutors said Nduta's claim was to cover up her crime, and she has to take responsibility for the amount of drug she transported.

It was not immediately clear what drugs she had trafficked but Vietnam is known to impose the harshest legal punishments for drug related crimes, despite international calls to abolish such extreme sentences.

In October 2023, a Ho Chi Minh City court sentenced six people to death for trafficking 5.6 kilograms of heroin.

The committee of judges said the convicted were involved with larger trafficking rings that distributed massive amounts of methamphetamine and ketamine, and thus deserved the harshest punishment.