Drug debt, man 'profits' 20 years in prison

On August 12, Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened the first instance trial of defendant Ngu Van Toai (born 1963), residing in Thanh Chuong town, Thanh Chuong district, for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking”.

According to the indictment, in 2022, while working in Laos, Ngu Van Toai met a man named Cang. Through conversation, Toai learned that this man had drugs, so he asked for his phone number so that when he returned to Vietnam, he could contact him to buy "goods" to sell for profit.

On February 28, 2024, Toai called Cang to buy 10 packages of pink drugs for 20 million VND, asking for a debt deferral. Cang agreed and promised to deliver the drugs at Cau Lua area, on the Vietnam - Laos border (Ngoc Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district).

Early in the morning of March 1, 2024, Toai rode his motorbike to the meeting place and saw a fresh tree branch marked. He knew that was where the Lao people kept the drugs, so he went to get it and brought it home. At noon of the same day, Ngu Van Toai was arrested by the police with evidence of more than 200 grams of drugs.

At the trial, the defendant admitted to the crime as charged in the indictment. Regarding the motive for the crime, the defendant stated that he was drunk that day and impulsively ordered the drugs.

Defendant Toai stated that he did not know who he sold the drugs to or at what price. He also bought the drugs on credit. He expressed remorse for his crimes and asked the court to consider reducing his sentence.

The panel of judges determined that the defendant's honest confession and his parents' contributions to the revolution were mitigating circumstances to be considered.

Considering the case as a whole, the panel sentenced the defendant Ngu Van Toai to 20 years in prison for the crime of illegal drug trafficking. As for the drug seller, because the defendant's identity and background were unknown, there was no basis for consideration.