A fellow inmate conspired to traffic drugs, and they ended up back in prison together.

(Baonghean.vn) - Having known each other in prison, Binh conspired with Oanh to buy methamphetamine from Hanoi and sell it in Nghe An for profit. As a result, both Oanh and Binh returned to prison with the charge of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics".

On September 15th, the Provincial People's Court held a first-instance criminal trial to hear the case against Nham Thi Binh (born in 1972), residing in Vinh Quang Hamlet, Dong Vinh Ward, Vinh City, and Dinh Thi Kim Oanh (born in 1963), residing in Ngoc Hoi Commune, Thanh Tri District, Hanoi, for the crime of "illegally trading narcotics".

The two defendants, Oanh and Bình, stand before the horseshoe-shaped dock.

In 2003, Nham Thi Binh was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Nghe An Provincial People's Court for "illegally trading narcotics." In 2013, Binh was released early. Meanwhile, Dinh Thi Kim Oanh also has a long criminal record. In 1996, Oanh was sentenced to 3 years in prison by the Hanoi City People's Court for "harboring prostitution." In 2000, the Hanoi City People's Court sentenced Oanh to 7 years and 6 months in prison for "illegally trading narcotics." Then, in 2008, Dinh Thi Kim Oanh was again sentenced to 8 years in prison by the Hoan Kiem District People's Court (Hanoi) for "illegally possessing narcotics."

During their time serving their sentences, Oanh and Binh became acquainted because they were in the same prison camp. After their release, they maintained contact. On April 13, 2016, Nham Thi Binh called Oanh, asking her to bring 500 grams of methamphetamine to Vinh City for sale, at an agreed price of 35 million VND per 100 grams. After purchasing the drugs, on the morning of April 14, 2016, Oanh took a taxi from Hanoi to Nghe An to visit Binh's house.

When the taxi carrying Oanh arrived at the Hoang Mai toll station (in Quynh Thien ward, Hoang Mai town), police discovered and apprehended Dinh Thi Kim Oanh along with 5 packets of methamphetamine. Based on Oanh's confession, the investigating agency arrested Nham Thi Binh. The forensic examination by the Criminal Technical Department of the Nghe An Provincial Police concluded that the aforementioned methamphetamine was indeed methamphetamine, weighing 496.55g.

At the trial, the defendants admitted their crimes. The representative of the Provincial People's Procuracy stated that the defendants' actions constituted dangerous recidivism, requiring a severe sentence to serve as a deterrent. They requested the court to sentence Nham Thi Binh to 14 to 14 years and 6 months in prison, and Dinh Thi Kim Oanh to 16 to 17 years in prison.

The defense lawyer for Nham Thi Binh requested the court to consider mitigating circumstances, arguing that the defendant's crime was not completed and she did not profit illegally from the drug trafficking.

The panel of judges concluded, based on public questioning at the trial, the investigation findings, arguments, and opinions of the prosecutor and defense lawyers, that there is sufficient basis to affirm that the defendants' actions constitute the crime of illegal trafficking of narcotics. The two defendants are responsible for 311g of pure narcotics, committing the crime as dangerous recidivism and infringing upon the State's exclusive right to manage narcotics…

After a comprehensive review of the case and the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the panel of judges sentenced Dinh Thi Kim Oanh to 18 years in prison and Nham Thi Binh to 15 years in prison for the aforementioned crime.

Nhu Binh