Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug-related debt.
Ngo Van Toai bought drugs on credit from a Laotian man. Before he could sell the drugs, Toai was arrested by the police and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
On August 12th, the People's Court of Nghe An province held a first-instance trial to hear the case against defendant Ngu Van Toai (born in 1963), residing in Thanh Chuong town, Thanh Chuong district, for the crime of ""Illegal trafficking of narcotics."
According to the indictment, in 2022, while working in Laos, Ngu Van Toai met a man named Cang. Through conversations, Toai learned that this man had drugs, so he asked for his phone number so that he could contact him to buy drugs to resell for profit when he returned to Vietnam.
On February 28, 2024, Toai called Cang to inquire about purchasing 10 packets of methamphetamine for 20 million dong, asking for a deferral of payment. Cang agreed and arranged to deliver the drugs in the area of Cau Lua bridge, on the Vietnam-Laos border (in Ngoc Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district).
Early in the morning of March 1, 2024, Toai rode his motorbike to the meeting point and saw a marked fresh branch. Knowing it was where the Laotians had hidden the drugs, he retrieved it and took it home. Later that day, Ngo Van Toai was arrested by the police along with over 200 grams of drugs.
At the trial, the defendant admitted to the crimes as charged in the indictment. Regarding the motive for the crime, the defendant stated that he was drunk that day and acted impulsively, ordering drugs.
Defendant Toai stated that he did not know who he sold the drugs to or at what price. He also purchased the drugs on credit. He expressed remorse for his crime and asked the court to consider mitigating circumstances.
The panel of judges noted that the defendant's sincere confession and the fact that his parents had contributed to the revolution were mitigating circumstances to be considered.
After a comprehensive review of the case, the panel of judges sentenced the defendant Ngu Van Toai to 20 years in prison for the crime of illegally trading narcotics. Regarding the drug dealer, since the defendant did not know their identity or background, there was no basis for considering prosecution.
