Arrested for drugs, searched house and found explosives

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of November 29, the People's Court of Quy Hop district opened a public mobile trial of the criminal case against defendant Chau Van Cuong (born 1968), residing in Yen Luom hamlet, Chau Quang commune, for the crimes of "Illegal possession of narcotics" and "Illegal possession of explosives".

Subject Chau Van Cuong. Photo by Le Phan.

At 3:30 p.m. on June 26, 2017, Quy Hop district police executed an emergency search warrant on Chau Van Ngoan (son of Mr. Chau Van Cuong), also residing in Yen Luom hamlet, Chau Quang commune (Quy Hop), confiscating 1 package of heroin weighing 3.495g in a pillow, 1 electronic scale in Cuong's bedroom, 12 sticks of industrial explosives weighing 2.4 kg, 21 detonators in the side room and a package of heroin Cuong voluntarily handed over to the police weighing 0.195g.

At the investigation agency, Chau Van Cuong confessed that the source of the heroin seized in the pillow and the heroin he handed in was that he bought it from a stranger for 1.5 million VND for his own use. As for the explosives, Cuong picked them up in Ban Ve and brought them back to hide when needed.

It is known that Chau Van Cuong had a bad personal history in 1993, was sentenced by the People's Court of Hung Nguyen district to 6 months in prison but given a suspended sentence for "Violating regulations on controlling road vehicles" and in 2007 was sentenced by the People's Court of Nghe An province to 7 years in prison for "illegally buying and selling drugs", finished serving the sentence on February 24, 2012 but still "the horse is familiar with the old path".

As for the man who sold drugs to Cuong, because he did not have a specific name, age and address, there was no basis for investigation and prosecution.

Considering the above acts, the People's Court sentenced defendant Chau Van Cuong to 3 years in prison for the crime of "Illegal possession of narcotics" as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 194 of the Penal Code and 1 year in prison for the crime of "Illegal possession of explosives" as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 232 of the Penal Code. The total sentence that defendant Chau Van Cuong must receive is 4 years in prison for 2 crimes of "Illegal possession of narcotics" and "Illegal possession of explosives".

Le Phan