20 years in prison for former Deputy Chief of Commune Police for drug trafficking

On April 23, the Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial of Vi Van May (born 1980, residing in Luong Minh commune, Tuong Duong) for illegal drug trafficking.

Vi Van May at the trial. Photo: Nhu Binh

On April 30, 2011, Nghe An Provincial Police arrested Lu Thi Minh (born 1984, resident of Luong Minh commune), and Lu Cao Thuong (born 1986, Minh's younger brother) when they brought 3 heroin cakes and 70 million VND in cash from Tuong Duong to Vinh City.

From the statements of Minh and Thuong, the police identified the drug dealers as Vi Thi Det (born 1982), residing in Luong Minh commune and Vi Van May.

Det was arrested shortly after, but Vi Van May quickly escaped. The provincial police investigation agency issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Vi Van May and separated it into another case.

In 2012, the Provincial People's Court brought the case to trial and sentenced Lu Thi Minh to death, Lu Cao Thuong and Vi Thi Det to life in prison. In 2014, Lu Thi Minh was pardoned by the President to life in prison. Later, Lu Thi Minh was pardoned to life in prison.

After nearly 7 years on the run, on December 3, 2017, Vi Van May turned himself in.

Based on the testimony of May and related subjects during the investigation and interrogation, the public debate at the trial showed that Vi Van May knew Vi Thi Det and Luong Thi Minh exchanged and traded drugs with each other. May was the one who counted the 21,900 USD that Minh gave to Det to buy drugs and was the one who went with Det into the forest to get drugs from an unknown subject to give to Minh.

Vi Van May was paid 1 million VND by Lu Thi Minh and promised to pay another 2 million VND when the transaction was successful. Therefore, the Provincial People's Procuracy prosecuted Vi Van May in court for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking" as an accomplice, which was the right person, the right crime, and no injustice.

During his service in the army and his work in the locality, Vi Van May achieved a number of achievements, which were recognized and rewarded by competent authorities. This is one of the mitigating circumstances to consider when sentencing according to the provisions of the law. Considering the case in its entirety, the panel sentenced Vi Van May to 20 years in prison./.