HANOI, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Border guard forces of Vietnam's central Quang Binh province have detained a Lao man, a transnational drug trafficking ring's leader, seizing over 24,000 pills of synthetic drug, Vietnam News Agency reported on Monday.

After more than nine months of investigation, Vietnamese relevant agencies on Sunday caught red-handed the 39-year-old man transporting the drug from Laos to Vietnam.

According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty.