Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: An Australian, Nathan Andrew James, 34,has been sentenced to life in prison after police found him to be in possession of 3.5 kilograms of heroin he was smuggling from Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney, Australia.
James was arrested at the Tan Son Nhat International airport in October 2013 while he was checking in for a flight to Sydney. The drug was found in his luggage by customs officials.
According to the indictment, James was asked by one "Tim" to carry the drugs to Australia to help him (James) clear his debt. At the time of this report, James is at large.
Vietnam has one of the most strict drug trafficking laws in South East Asia, and smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine can result to a death penalty.