What sentence for the 60 year old man who trafficked more than 13 kg of drugs?

According to the indictment, in early November 2019, a man named Xeng (Lao, unknown background) called Nguyen Dinh Giang (born 1960, residing in Hung Son commune, Anh Son district) saying he was looking for someone to buy drugs, agreeing to sell 1 kg of drugs for 5,000 USD, 1 heroin cake for 5,000 USD, 1 small package of drugs for 100 USD. Giang agreed.

On November 13, 2019, in Anh Son town, Nguyen Dinh Giang paid Xeng 15,000 USD in advance to get drugs.

On November 18, 2019, Hoang Danh Diep (born in 1981, residing in Hong Son commune, Do Luong district) met Giang in Con Cuong town to buy 2 kg of drugs for 300 million VND with the intention of reselling for profit. Diep paid Giang 258 million VND in advance, but because he still lacked money, Giang did not deliver the drugs to Diep. Diep then decided to mortgage his car to get the drugs, but Giang did not agree.

Defendant Nguyen Dinh Giang. Photo: Tran Vu

On the afternoon of November 22, 2019, Giang paid Xeng an additional 250 million VND and 37,000 USD after hearing that he had the "goods". After receiving the money, Xeng brought to Giang's house 9,827.86 grams of drugs and 3,751.74 grams of heroin. In addition to the above drugs, Xeng also gave Giang 2 packages of drugs weighing 19.71 grams for sale and use.

That same evening, Giang gave Diep 6.745 grams of drugs to use. Because Diep did not have a tool to store the drugs, Nguyen Cong Cuong (born in 1983, residing in Thinh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) took a plastic bag to wrap the outside of the cigarette pack and gave it to Diep to hide. Cuong asked to drive home but Diep did not agree. Diep told Cuong to take a taxi home. When Diep stopped the car to wrap the drugs Giang gave her, she was arrested by the police.

In addition, on November 23, 2019, through a man named Ngoc, Pham Van Hung (born in 1977, residing in My Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) exchanged a Lexus car with a Lao license plate for 1 cake of heroin with the intention of reselling it for profit. Hung handed over the car to Giang but has not yet received the drugs.

Knowing that Giang and Cuong were in Hung's house, on November 23, 2019, Yen Thanh District Police came to Hung's house to execute an emergency detention order against Giang and Cuong. Seeing the police arrive, Hung disposed of 165.665 grams of heroin and 70.8 grams of drugs (purchased from a man named Long, whose identity is unknown) for 82 million VND with the intention of selling for profit. After that, Cuong and Giang were also arrested. Searching Giang's residence, the police seized the amount of drugs previously purchased from Xeng.

Defendants at trial. Photo: Tran Vu

At the trial, all defendants admitted to their crimes. Considering the case as a whole, the panel sentenced Nguyen Dinh Giang to death for "Illegal drug trafficking"; Hoang Doanh Diep to 20 years in prison for "Illegal drug trafficking", 6 years in prison for "Illegal drug possession" (total sentence of 26 years in prison); Pham Van Hung to 18 years in prison for "Illegal drug trafficking"; Nguyen Cong Cuong to 2 years in prison for "Illegal drug possession".