The ASSOCIATED PRESS
HA NOI ― A Vietnamese court sentenced four men to death for dealing in heroin, adding to those awaiting capital punishment while the government tries to locate chemicals for lethal injection.
The country has not executed anyone since 2011, when it decided to switch from firing squads to lethal injections on humanitarian grounds. It has found itself unable, however, to get chemicals used in the injections because of an EU ban on its factories exporting drugs used in lethal injections.
The state-run Laborer newspaper said the four were convicted in northern Viet Nam for dealing more than 100 pounds of heroin.
Viet Nam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Trafficking or trading 1.3 pounds of heroin is punishable by death.
There currently are more than 500 people on death row.
