Deadly mystery in... bicycle basket

At 50 years old, this is the third time Nguyen Sy Toan, residing in Hung Dung ward, Vinh City, has appeared in court. Previously, in 2008, Toan was fined administratively for theft. In 2012, the Vinh City People's Court sentenced Nguyen Sy Toan to 12 months in prison again for "theft." After serving his sentence, Toan was arrested again for "theft."Illegal possession of narcotics"The eight-month prison sentence is the price he has to pay."

After being released from prison, Toan returned to his hometown to live with his child and elderly mother. Despite a series of setbacks, this man seemed unafraid of the prospect of prison life. Especially after living more than half his life, Toan continued to repeat his past mistakes.

The suspect, Nguyen Sy Toan. Photo: Tran Vu

Around April 2022, while drinking sugarcane juice in the square area, Toan met and befriended a man named Hung (whose background and specific address are unknown). Hung asked Toan to help him sell 1,000 ecstasy pills for 90 million VND. The large sum of money quickly convinced the man to agree.

As previously arranged, on the afternoon of May 3rd, Toan rode his bicycle to meet Hung to receive the drugs. Hung pointed out the package of drugs to Toan, which he found in an empty plot of land in front of an alley in Vinh City. Toan took the black bag containing the drugs, put it in his bicycle basket, and returned home.

Although Toan cleverly concealed the drugs under a bunch of leaves in his bicycle basket, the drug detectives noticed something unusual and approached him. Realizing he had been discovered, Nguyen Sy Toan sped away on his bicycle. After a short distance, he abandoned his bike and ran into an alley, but the detectives caught up, tackled him, and successfully apprehended him. Upon inspecting the abandoned bicycle, the special task force recovered 454 grams of ecstasy pills wrapped in multiple layers of plastic bags, placed in the basket, and covered with leaves.

When brought to the police station, Nguyen Sy Toan initially denied the charges, but faced with compelling evidence from the investigation team, he had to confess. Toan claimed he used a bicycle to deliver the drugs to avoid suspicion and detection. However, Toan's previous illicit activities had already caught the attention of authorities. Therefore, detectives monitored Toan's movements and noticed that each day, at a certain time, he would leave home, sometimes on a flashy SH motorbike, sometimes in a rented car. Authorities also received information that Toan would be trading a large quantity of drugs during the April 30th - May 1st holiday, so they closely monitored him and successfully apprehended him.

Accused and brought to trial for "illegally trafficking narcotics," the defendant Toan sincerely admitted his guilt. He acknowledged having served time in prison multiple times but reoffended due to greed. On his third court appearance, Toan pleaded with the court to consider mitigating circumstances so he could return home to care for his child and elderly mother.

The defendant's stepmother shed tears as her husband's son continued to be imprisoned. Photo: Tran Vu

It is known that Toan is divorced. Before committing the crime, the defendant lived with his stepmother, who is nearly 80 years old, and his child. The bicycle Toan used to commit the crime belonged to his elderly stepmother. The defendant requested the court to return the bicycle to his mother.

Attending the trial, the elderly mother broke down in tears when mentioning her son's crime. She pleaded with the court to consider mitigating circumstances for her son's sentence. She explained that, although she wasn't his biological father, she and her husband's son had relied on each other for many years.

Considering the defendant's repeat offense, the court determined that a severe punishment was necessary. However, several mitigating circumstances were also considered, such as his sincere confession, remorse, and the fact that his father was awarded the First Class Resistance Medal. Considering all aspects of the case, the court sentenced Nguyen Sy Toan to 20 years in prison for "Illegal trafficking of narcotics." Regarding the person named Hung, since the defendant did not know his identity or address, there was no basis for prosecution.

Entering prison for the third time with a 20-year sentence at over 50 years old made the day of reunion with his elderly mother seem even further away…