Despite multiple convictions, the elderly man continues to traffic drugs.
Despite having served four prison sentences, including a 20-year sentence for drug-related offenses, Vinh relapsed. This time, the elderly man in his 70s spent over a hundred million dong to buy drugs for retail sale.
On July 9th, the People's Court of Nghe An province held a first-instance trial to hear the case against defendant Tran Xuan Vinh (68 years old), residing in Trung Phuc Cuong commune, Nam Dan district (Nghe An province), for the crime of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics"The defendant, Duong Duc Hieu (33 years old), residing in Nghia Hong commune, Nghia Dan district, is charged with the crime of "Illegal possession of narcotics."
Both defendants have a bad criminal record, having been tried in court multiple times. Vinh has served four prison sentences, while Hieu has been tried twice for various offenses.
Regarding the case, according to the indictment, around May 2023, due to needing money for medical treatment, Vinh conceived the idea of buying drugs to sell retail for profit. Vinh took 133 million VND and traveled to Que Phong district to buy drugs from an unknown individual.
Four months later, Vinh went to Vinh market to buy an electronic scale to divide the drugs into smaller portions for resale. To avoid detection by the police, Vinh hid the drugs in various places, such as putting them in milk cartons and storing them in the refrigerator, or hiding them in the wardrobe...
Around October 2023, while Vinh was sitting at a cafe, he met Duong Duc Hieu. At that time, Hieu asked Vinh to buy heroin for him to use. Since that meeting, Vinh has sold drugs to Hieu twice.
Specifically, in November 2023, Vinh sold Hieu one package of heroin for 1 million VND. After using up the heroin, on December 18, 2023, in the area of Yen Xuan Bridge (in Trung Phuc Cuong commune), Hieu continued to buy another package of heroin from Vinh.
Later, Hieu went to buy drug paraphernalia when the police arrived for a check. Upon seeing the authorities, Hieu swallowed the package of drugs, but later voluntarily vomited it out. Based on Hieu's confession, the police searched Vinh's house and arrested him.
The investigating agency determined that Tran Xuan Vinh is criminally liable for two instances of selling drugs totaling over 524 grams. Hieu is criminally liable for possessing 0.32 grams of drugs.
At the trial, both defendants admitted to the crime and expressed remorse. Defendant Vinh stated that he trafficked drugs because of a long-standing illness.
Defendant Hieu, on the other hand, confessed that he bought drugs for personal use because he was addicted. Regarding the money used to buy the drugs, Hieu claimed it was money given to his wife by relatives because she had just given birth to a baby.
After a comprehensive review of the case, the panel of judges sentenced defendant Tran Xuan Vinh to 20 years in prison. Defendant Duong Duc Hieu received a 2-year prison sentence for the crime of illegally possessing narcotics.
