HANOI -- Secret surveillance cameras set up in four "heroin hot spots" in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi recorded more than 1,000 drug deals in a matter of hours, state media reported on Monday. The Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper said police had arrested many people by December 23, including dealers, using the video tapes as evidence. The tapes showed that 340 million dong ($23,450) worth of heroin was traded in five hours, it said. Trafficking of 100 grams (3.3 oz) or more of heroin, which wholesales at $15,000-$19,000 per kg (35 oz) in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam, is punishable by death or life imprisonment in Vietnam.

(Reuter)