Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for bringing drugs to Vietnam to get money

40 years old, Nguyen Ngoc Tinh, residing in Dien Lam commune, Dien Chau district, is a father of 3 children. Realizing that life in his hometown was difficult, Tinh decided to leave his wife and children to go to Laos to make a living. Tinh's dream of getting rich in a foreign land was completely legitimate. However, his greed made him pay a high price when he decided to bring a bag of "goods" back to Vietnam for a Laotian.

It was the end of 2022, knowing that Nguyen Ngoc Tinh was about to return to Vietnam, a Laotian person asked him to bring back 1 heroin cake, 2 packages of pink phien with a total weight of more than 380 grams. This person also told Tinh to later receive 160 million VND from selling drugs and bring it over.

Having passed through Cau Treo Border Gate (Ha Tinh) many times, Tinh knew that there were X-ray machines and strict control by the authorities, so he refused. At that time, the Laotian said that someone would bring the drugs through the border gate, and Tinh would only have to receive the "goods" when they entered Vietnam. The promise of 30 million VND made Tinh dizzy, so he agreed.

On the afternoon of December 22, 2022, after taking a bus to the Cau Treo Border Gate area, Tinh completed immigration procedures. Because he had no problems, this man easily entered the country. However, after walking about 200m, through the guidance of a Laotian, Nguyen Ngoc Tinh saw a bag left on the side of the road. Knowing that it was drugs, Tinh picked it up and jumped on a bus to Nghe An.

Upon returning home, Tinh secretly hid the drugs in a hilly area near his house. His relatives were completely unaware of Tinh's drug dealing during this visit to his family. The next evening, when he received a phone call from someone claiming to be a drug buyer, Tinh took the "goods" to the Yen Ly overpass area (in Dien Yen commune, Dien Chau district) and was discovered by the police. With the above behavior, Nguyen Ngoc Tinh was prosecuted and brought to trial for the crime of Illegal drug trafficking.

Throughout the trial, Tinh confessed honestly. The defendant confessed that because he had passed through the Cau Treo Border Gate area many times, he knew that the authorities would strictly control him, so at first he flatly refused to bring drugs. But then, thinking about the 30 million VND in wages, the amount of money that the defendant had spent several months working hard to earn, his greed arose.

The defendant expressed remorse for his greed, which had cost him dearly. Now, not only did he have to face legal punishment, but his family members were also implicated and humiliated.

Having the last word, Tinh asked the court to consider reducing his sentence so that he could soon return home to take care of his family, wife, children, and elderly mother.

As the jury began deliberating, the defendant's three children rushed inside where Tinh was sitting. Their cries made Tinh rub his eyes several times. For many years, their father had been working away from home, and the children had lived with their mother. So when they heard that their father was coming home to visit, they were all excited and happy. But then, that joy was too short-lived when just one day later, the whole family received news that their father had been arrested for drugs.

Seeing his children in such a difficult situation, Tinh apologized and did not forget to tell them to be good and study well. At that moment, the defendant also did not forget to apologize and encourage his hard-working mother. His father was awarded many medals for participating in the resistance war and protecting the Fatherland, but has now passed away, leaving only his mother. However, Tinh repaid his mother by serving a 20-year prison sentence for illegal drug trafficking. That seemed to be a big shock to the woman who had sacrificed her whole life to take care of her children. That is why when the court ended, she just looked at her children and cried helplessly.