18 years in prison for woman who took 5-year-old daughter to sell drugs

On the morning of January 12, the Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial against Vo Ngoc Anh (born in 1981), residing in Quang Tien ward, Thai Hoa town, Nguyen Thi Kim Anh (born in 1978), residing in Hung Dung ward, Vinh city and Huynh Hung (born in 1990), residing in Nghia Dan town, Nghia Dan district for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking".

According to the indictment, around mid-May 2017, a man named Vinh asked Kim Anh to buy 1kg of crystal meth. Kim Anh called Vo Ngoc Anh to place the order. On July 27, 2017, Ngoc Anh gave Huynh Hung 1kg of crystal meth to bring to Vinh City to deliver to Kim Anh.

Defendants in court. Photo: Nhu Binh

Having the "goods", Kim Anh contacted a man named Vinh to go to a hotel in Vinh city to make a transaction.

With no one to look after her, Kim Anh took her 5-year-old daughter with her. Vinh said he needed to test the drugs to check the quality, so he asked Kim Anh to take him to the car.

Kim Anh refused to take it, so Vinh put the bag containing drugs on Kim Anh's 5-year-old daughter and the three of them went down to the lobby. At that moment, the Vinh City Police Department rushed in and arrested Kim Anh. The man named Vinh quickly escaped.

Based on Kim Anh’s testimony, the investigation agency arrested Vo Ngoc Anh and Huynh Hung. Searching Vo Ngoc Anh’s residence, the police also discovered and seized 4 packages of synthetic drugs weighing 78.54 grams.

At the trial, the three defendants confessed to all their crimes and asked the jury to consider reducing their sentences.

Vo Ngoc Anh was sentenced to prison twice for “Illegal possession of narcotics” and completed her prison term in May 2014. Nguyen Thi Kim Anh was sentenced to 6 years in prison by the Provincial People’s Court for “Fraudulent appropriation of property” in a trial held in June 2017. Kim Anh has not yet served this sentence and continues to commit crimes.