4 million VND 'buys' 20 years in prison

(Baonghean.vn)- Bun My Ha was paid 4 million VND to deliver 16,000 pink pills and 1kg of crystal meth to a person named Hoai. However, while preparing to make the transaction, she was arrested by the police.

On the afternoon of August 28, Bun My Ha was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the People's Court of Nghe An province for "Illegal drug trafficking".

According to the case, in December 2016, Bun Thoong (Laotian) and a person named Hoai (unknown personal background) agreed to buy and sell drugs.

On February 28, 2017, Bun Thoong directed Bun My Ha (born in 1990, residing in Nam Pao village, Lac Xao town, Kham Cot district, Bolykhamxay province, Laos) to go to Vietnam to meet Hoai to check the money, Ha was paid 4 million VND.

Bun My Ha and Van Xay Ha at the trial. Photo: Nhu Binh

After being informed by Bun My Ha that Hoai had prepared 200 million VND and 2,500 USD, Bun Thoong hired Xia Mai Lau and Van Xay Ha (born in 1995, both living in Nam Pao village)transport 16,000 synthetic drug pills, 1kg of crystal meth from Laos to Vietnam and hand it over to Bun My Ha so that Ha can deliver it to Hoai and receive money. Van Xay Ha will receive a salary of 400 USD when he completes the mission and returns to Laos.

Van Xay Ha arrived at km81, National Highway 8, (Kim Son commune, Huong Son district, Ha Tinh) waiting to deliver drugs to Bun My Ha when he was discovered and arrested by Nghe An police in coordination with Ha Tinh Border Guard. The authorities seized 80 plastic bags (16,000 synthetic drug pills weighing more than 1.5 kg) and a bag of white crystals (crystal meth, weighing 978.64g) and a gun from Van Xay Ha.

Expanding the investigation, the Task Force arrested another subject, Bun My Ha, while conducting transactions with several subjects in Huong Son town, Ha Tinh.

Bun My Ha was prosecuted for “Illegal drug trafficking”, Van Xay Ha was prosecuted for “Illegal drug transportation” and “Illegal possession of military weapons”. On August 28, the Provincial People’s Court brought the two subjects to trial.

At the trial, while Bun My Ha honestly confessed to the crime, Van Xay Ha was evasive and denied the crime. Van Xay Ha said he did not know that the goods he was hired to bring to Vietnam were drugs.

16,000 synthetic drug pills that the subjects transported. Documentary photo

Furthermore, when he arrived in Vietnam, someone gave the defendant a carton of milk. After drinking it, he was no longer aware of anything. The gun that the authorities seized when arresting Van Xay Ha was not the defendant’s gun but the gun that Xia Mai Lau gave to Ha to hold.

During the questioning and public debate at the trial, the panel of judges determined that prosecuting the two defendants before the law for the above crimes was the right person, the right crime, and not wrongful.

Considering the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the panel sentenced Bun My Ha to 20 years in prison for “Illegal drug trafficking”. Combined with the 5-year prison sentence for “Illegal transportation of currency across the border” imposed by the People’s Court of Ky Son district in 2014 that has not yet been executed, Bun My Ha must serve 25 years in prison.

Van Xay Ha was sentenced to 20 years in prison for "Illegal transportation of narcotics" and 1 year in prison for "Illegal possession of military weapons". Combined, Van Xay Ha must serve 21 years in prison.

Nhu Binh