- Macharia Margaret Nduta, 37, sentenced to death in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Arrested in July 2023 while transiting to Laos with over 2 kilos of cocaine.
- She claimed she was hired by a Kenyan man to deliver a suitcase.
- Successfully passed through security at three airports before being caught.
- Vietnam enforces strict drug laws, with trafficking carrying the death penalty.
A Kenyan woman, Macharia Margaret Nduta, has been sentenced to death in Vietnam after being found guilty of trafficking over two kilos of cocaine. The ruling was delivered by the People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, March 6.
Nduta was arrested in July 2023 while transiting to Laos, where she was allegedly set to deliver a suitcase to another woman. She told authorities that a Kenyan man known only as John had hired her for the job, paying her $1,300 (Sh167,000) and covering her travel expenses.
Arrest and Trial
According to the indictment, Nduta managed to evade detection at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, and Hamad International Airport in Qatar. However, upon her arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, authorities conducted a thorough search and discovered a false bottom in her suitcase, where the cocaine was hidden.
Nduta denied knowledge of the drugs, claiming she had no idea her suitcase contained illegal substances. However, prosecutors dismissed her defense, arguing that she must be held accountable for smuggling the narcotics.
Vietnam’s Strict Drug Laws
Vietnam has some of the harshest drug laws in the world, with death sentences imposed on those caught smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or cocaine. The country’s proximity to the Golden Triangle—one of the largest drug-producing regions globally—makes it a hotspot for trafficking.
Despite being a transit hub for smugglers due to its location near Cambodia, Vietnamese authorities remain relentless in their crackdown on drug-related crimes, imposing severe penalties on offenders.
