A 37-year-old Kenyan woman has been sentenced to death in Vietnam.
The woman who goes by the name Macharia Margaret Nduta was found trafficking over two kilograms of drugs through Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
According to court proceedings, the 37-year-old was hired in July 2023 by a fellow Kenyan to transport a suitcase.
Kenyan woman sentenced to death in Vietnam for trafficking 2kg of drugs. Photo: Courtesy.
The suitcase was reportedly intended for delivery to a woman in Laos, after which Nduta was expected to return with unspecified ‘goods’.
Nduta was reportedly paid $1,300 (approximately Ksh168,000) for the task, and her travel expenses, including plane tickets fully covered.
According to Vietnamese authorities, Nduta’s journey involved traveling through multiple countries before she arrived at Ho Chi Minh City on July 14, 2023.
Due to a delay in her flight’s arrival, airport staff advised Nduta to complete the necessary procedures for entering Vietnam so they could assist her in booking a flight to Laos.
However, during the immigration check, authorities discovered over 2 kilograms of drugs concealed in her suitcase.
In her defense, Nduta claimed she was unaware of the drugs when she received the suitcase but prosecutors argued that this statement was an attempt to evade responsibility, asserting that she was accountable for the illegal substances she transported.
The court ultimately found her guilty and handed down a death sentence on Thursday, March 6.
In Vietnam, individuals sentenced to death for drug offences face a comprehensive legal process before execution.
