A daring drug trafficking operation - 3 people pay the price.
Using the guise of buying and selling scrap metal, Tran Thi Kinh set up a drug trafficking ring, involving her older sister and an elderly woman.BCaught red-handed with nearly 5 kg of drugs, Kính received the death penalty, while the other two received life sentences. A heavy price to pay for those who lost their way in their pursuit of a livelihood.
Creating a scrap metal collection business as a cover for drug trafficking.
Tran Thi Kinh (50 years old) and Tran Thi Lan (63 years old) are sisters, born in the former Dien Chau district. Upon reaching adulthood, Kinh moved to Que Phong commune (Nghe An province) to pursue new economic opportunities, while Lan remained in Duc Chau commune (formerly Dien Ky commune, Dien Chau district) to live.
In her new life, Kính started a scrap metal business. This work helped her earn a living, support her family, and build social connections. However, after a series of unfortunate events – a nine-month suspended prison sentence for "receiving stolen property" and administrative penalties for illegally possessing, transporting, and selling explosives – Kính's life became much more difficult.
The sisters' hardships were compounded by the fact that both were widows. After their husbands passed away, they had to shoulder the burden of supporting their families and raising their children. Under the pressure of life and business debts, Kính plunged herself into an inescapable tragedy by becoming involved in drug trafficking. She used the guise of collecting scrap metal to sell drugs.
To realize his ambition, Kính contacted a man named Đạt (whose background is unknown) to discuss drug trafficking. They agreed that Kính would purchase drugs from the former Quế Phong district, transport them to the former Diễn Châu district for his sister Trần Thị Lan to hide, and then sell them to Đạt for 60 million VND per package. In the following days, Đạt transferred money to Kính several times via bank account.
Tran Thi Kinh did not directly engage in drug trafficking but instead persuaded her older sister, Tran Thi Lan, to participate. On February 1, 2024, Kinh confided in her sister: "I'm in so much debt, I have to take a risk to earn money to pay it off" (meaning Kinh would traffic drugs to earn money to pay off her debts). Afterward, Kinh called Lan and said: "I'll send the goods tomorrow, please take them home and keep them for me." Lan agreed to her sister's request.
The following afternoon, the seller called to inform them that the "goods" were ready for delivery. At this point, Kinh put 106 million VND into a box of instant noodles and told his daughter to deliver it. After receiving the money, the seller instructed Kinh to go to the Que Phong commune stadium to pick up the drugs.
At this time, Kính called Nguyễn Thị Truyền (born in 1958, residing in Quế Phong commune) and asked her to pick up the package for her. Truyền agreed and rode her motorbike to the stadium area to pick it up and bring it back to Kính. When she got home, Kính told Truyền: "This is contraband, I don't dare carry it back myself. Please try to take it back to Mrs. Lan, and I'll pay you for your work so you can pay off your debts." Truyền asked, "What kind of contraband?" Kính replied, "drugs." Hearing this, Truyền wasn't afraid and agreed, saying, "I'm old, nobody will notice. Let me take it back for you."
Later, Kính called her sister in the lowlands to inform her to prepare to receive the drugs, promising, "When I sell them, I'll give you some money to spend during Tet." At around 5 PM that same day, while Nguyễn Thị Truyền was delivering nearly 5 kg of drugs to Trần Thị Lan, she was discovered and caught red-handed by the police. Based on the statements of the suspects, the authorities urgently arrested Trần Thị Kính.
The investigating agency determined that Kinh and Lan are criminally liable for the act of buying and selling nearly 5 kg of drugs, and Truyen is criminally liable for the act of illegally transporting nearly 5 kg of drugs.
I received the death penalty, and you are in prison indefinitely.
For the aforementioned offenses, Tran Thi Kinh and Tran Thi Lan were prosecuted and brought to trial for "Illegal trafficking of narcotics," while defendant Nguyen Thi Truyen was tried for "Illegal transportation of narcotics."
At the trial, the defendants initially denied buying, selling, and transporting drugs. Defendant Lan claimed she didn't know the package contained drugs and that she "only received the bag on behalf of her younger sister." However, later, faced with the evidence from the investigating agency, she bowed her head and pleaded guilty, admitting that she knew the bag contained drugs belonging to her sister.
When questioned by the court, defendant Nguyen Thi Truyen testified that she agreed to transport the drugs because defendant Kinh promised her money. “I thought that because I was older, fewer people would notice, so I could transport them successfully.” However, all of her actions were being monitored by the investigating authorities. Arrested with the evidence, Truyen bowed her head and pleaded guilty. Although she initially denied the charges at the trial, she later admitted to the actions as charged in the indictment.
This is the second time defendant Nguyen Thi Truyen has appeared in court. Previously, Truyen was sentenced to 5 years in prison for "illegally transporting narcotics." After her release, this woman returned to her old ways despite her advanced age and having many children and grandchildren.
The trial became tense when defendant Kính vehemently denied the charges, refusing to admit to the crime. Kính stated that she did not buy or sell drugs, did not instruct her sister to receive drugs, and did not ask Truyền to transport nearly 5 kg of drugs. This attitude differed from the investigation phase when Trần Thị Kính honestly confessed and admitted to the crime.
In their final statements before the court adjourned to deliberate, the defendants all wept as they mentioned their children. Defendant Lan explained her situation of raising her children alone after her husband's death. Now, her imprisonment has cast a dark shadow over her children's future. She pleaded with the court to consider leniency and grant her a chance to rebuild her life and return to her children.
The panel of judges concluded that, although defendant Tran Thi Kinh did not admit to the act of drug trafficking, based on the investigation documents, the record of the arrest of the perpetrator in the act, the self-declarations of the defendants, and the case files, there was sufficient evidence to affirm that she committed the crime of illegal drug trafficking. Given the large quantity of drugs involved, the court sentenced Tran Thi Kinh to death.
For the same crime, defendant Tran Thi Lan was sentenced to life imprisonment due to several mitigating circumstances. The same sentence was given to defendant Nguyen Thi Truyen for the crime of "illegally transporting narcotics".
Despite being sentenced to death, Tran Thi Kinh left the courtroom with a cold, indifferent demeanor, unaffected by the sobbing of her relatives behind her. Drugs had transformed this former scrap metal dealer into a perpetrator of exceptionally serious crimes, dragging her sister and an elderly acquaintance into legal trouble as well. The family was torn apart, some living under sentence, others facing death – a tragedy with no end.
