2 death sentences in the case of taking 2 billion VND to buy drugs

On May 14, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial to try Hoang Nghia Van (born in 1975), residing in Hung Long commune (Hung Nguyen); Mua Ba Va (born in 1988), residing in Na Ngoi commune (Ky Son) and Cho Mua (born in 1983), residing in Lac Xao town, Kham Cot district, Bolikhamxay province (Laos) for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking".

According to the investigation agency's documents, around March 2019, Hoang Nghia Van went to work in Ho Chi Minh City and met and got to know Nguyen Thi Ly (residing in Ho Chi Minh City). Through talking, Ly asked Van to go to Nghe An to find drugs and would pay her. Van agreed.

On May 9, 2019, Van held a wedding with Vu Y Th. (in Lac Xao town, Kham Cot district, Bolikhamxay province, Laos). There, Van met Cho Mua, a cousin of his wife's family. Van asked Mua to help him find drugs.

After the wedding, Van returned to Vietnam and called Ly to inform him that he had found a source of goods. Ly said that on May 27, 2019, he would transfer 2 billion VND to buy 15 kg of drugs. After the transaction was successful, Van would receive a commission of 17 million VND. Before the above promise, Van contacted Mua to order 15 kg of drugs.

Defendants in court. Photo: Tran Vu

As scheduled, on May 27, 2019, Van received 2 billion VND from Ly. To facilitate the transaction, Ly gave Van an Iphone 7 and told him to contact her online using the software pre-installed on the phone. After that, Van went to meet Mua in Vinh market area to give her 2 billion VND.

After receiving the money, Mua took a bus to Laos to buy 15 kg of drugs for 78,000 USD. Mua called Mua Ba Va in Vietnam to receive the drugs and deliver them to the customer, and he would be paid 2,000 USD. When he arrived in Vietnam, Mua called Van to make an appointment at 5:00 a.m. on June 1, 2019 to deliver the goods at Pho Chau roundabout (Huong Son district, Ha Tinh). Van agreed and contacted Ly to send someone to the meeting point to receive the goods.

At about 3:00 a.m. the same day, Mua gave Va 2,000 USD in wages and directly drove a motorbike carrying Va and drugs to Hoang Nam village, Son Tay commune, Huong Son district, where he was discovered and arrested by the police.

At the same time, Hoang Nghia Van drove a motorbike from Vinh City to Pho Chau roundabout to wait for Mua to pick up the goods. While waiting for Mua, Van was arrested by Vinh City Police.

Searching Van's residence, the police seized 1,990 grams of drugs. Van said he found it at his house but did not know who it belonged to, so he kept it for sale if anyone asked.

At the trial, the defendants admitted their crimes. Considering the case as a whole, the panel sentenced Cho Mua and Hoang Nghia Van to death; and Mua Ba Va to life in prison for “illegally trading in narcotics”. As for Nguyen Thi Ly, her family and background could not be determined, so she could not be prosecuted.