Viet Nam court sentences 27 to death for drug trafficking

The members of a drug smuggling ring appeared in court in Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam, where 27 were handed death sentences on Friday after being found guilty of trafficking more than 600 kilos of narcotics including heroin, ketamine and methamphetamine, according to state media. Of the 35-member ring, eight members were spared the death penalty and handed sentences ranging from 20 years to life.

The suspects used social media networks such as Signal, adopting nicknames like "Colombia" and "Mosscau" or "Mosscau Russia" to avoid detection. To ensure secrecy in their operations, the network used messaging app Signal and phone numbers from the United States or Cambodia to communicate about the drug transactions. Since 2013, Viet Nam has carried out death sentences by lethal injection, replacing executions by firing squads.