A 40-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to death by a court in Southern Vietnam, reported Vietnamese newspaper Tuoi Tre.

Cher Wei Hon — who resides in Ho Chi Minh City — was in a ride-hail car crossing the border between Cambodia and Vietnam when it was stopped and searched by border guards on June 29, 2019, according to VnExpress International.

The guards found 10 plastic bags holding a white crystal, which Cher later confessed contained methamphetamine.

According to the police, the total amount of meth weighed 9.95kg.

Paying off a debt

Cher said that he was moving the drugs to pay off his debt.

He said that he got acquainted with a woman named Quynh at a karaoke parlour in Vietnam.

He borrowed VND200 million (S$11,832) from her, but could not pay back the debt.

Quynh then made Cher work for her to compensate for the money he owed.

Initially, she asked him to transport iPhones and iPads from Cambodia to Vietnam.

She then subsequently tasked him to move drugs across the border.

Each successful task would reduce his debt by US$500 to US$1,000 (SG$686 to SG$1,373).

Cher admitted that he had conducted five such trips prior to being caught.

Tough anti-drug laws

According to Vietnamese law, those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600g of heroin or more than 2.5kg of meth face capital punishment.

Manufacturing or selling more than 100g of heroin or more than 300g of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death.

Vietnam switched their mode of death penalty from shooting by firing squad to lethal injection in 2013.

Mothership has reached out to the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comments on the matter.

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Top image from Tuoi Tre News.