A Kenyan woman has been sentenced to death in Vietnam after being caught trafficking over two kilograms of drugs through Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
According to court proceedings, 37-year-old Macharia Margaret Nduta was hired in July 2023 by a fellow Kenyan to transport a suitcase to Laos, a country in Asia.
According to the indictment, she was instructed to hand over the suitcase to a woman in Laos and then 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 (HCMC) on July 14, 2023.
Due to a late arrival, airport staff assisted her in completing immigration procedures so they could help her book a flight to Laos.
However, during the process, customs officials discovered over two kilograms of illicit drugs concealed in her suitcase.
In her defense, Nduta claimed she was unaware that the suitcase contained drugs when she received it.
However, 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.
