Six drug dealers to face firing squad in Vietnam

HANOI, Sep 7 (Reuters) A Vietnamese court has sentenced six men to death by firing squad and six others from 16 years to life in jail for trafficking nearly 6 kg of heroin, state media said today.

The six facing execution were part of a drugs ring that was intercepted last year in the northern province of Hoa Binh, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper quoted the court in Thanh Hoa province as saying.

Trafficking in more than 600 grams of heroin or 5 kg of opium is punishable by death or life in jail in Vietnam, a transit point for dealers to transport drugs to nearby countries such as Australia.

REUTERS ARB HS0922