A Singaporean man has been sentenced to death for trafficking 2.5kg of heroin, according to a report by Vietnam's English daily Thanh Nien News.

Lee Loke Dah, 40, who appeared before a Ho Chi Minh City court last Friday (April 29), had been arrested at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in December 2014.

He had in his possession a plastic bag with thousands of capsules in it, which further tests confirmed was heroin.

Vietnamese news site VnExpress reported that the capsules had been disguised to resemble peanut candy.

In his defence, Lee - who had entered Vietnam four days prior to his arrest - told investigators that he had stolen the bag from a stranger in a hotel he was staying at in District 5.

Prosecutors, however, rejected his claims and the court found him guilty of drug trafficking.

Under Vietnam's drug laws, a person convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600g of heroin can face the death penalty.