Luong Ngoc Lap, Pham Cong Doanh and Nguyen Thi Thom were among the alleged masterminds of a ring that operated from May 2000 to March 2006.

Police investigators found the traffickers used automobiles to transport the banned substance to the northern border province of Lang Son. Each vehicle carried between three to 10 heroin cakes.

To avoid check-points and patrols they travelled by night and communicated with each other by walkie-talkies, arriving in Lang Son province in the early morning.

They then allegedly handed heroin to accomplices at the Tan Thanh border gate who would transport the illicit drugs to the other side of the border through forest lanes.

The gang was broken down with cooperation of Chinese police.

The trial is expected to last for three weeks.