The life story of a carpentry shop owner who was sentenced to prison for drug trafficking

(Baonghean.vn)-After serving a 7-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, Hoang Van Hiep (45 years old), in Hung Long commune, Hung Nguyen district, determined to stand up after his fall, becoming the owner of a large local carpentry workshop, helping people in similar situations reintegrate into the community.

Mr. Hoang Van Hiep was born and raised in a large family. He always had the will to get rich, so when he saw that his hometown had many advantages in developing carpentry, he asked his father's permission to follow this profession to open his own workshop. After working for a while, when life was gradually stabilizing, he decided to get married with a girl from the neighboring village.

Life went on smoothly, with happiness when his children grew up. However, his life turned a new page. Because of wanting to get rich quickly and lacking knowledge of the law, Mr. Hiep fell into the path of crime when he illegally traded drugs.

Owner of Hoang Van Hiep carpentry workshop.

Mr. Hiep recalls: Around 1999, the family carpentry workshop was doing well. Every day I had to travel back and forth across the region to import goods. But it was also because of the travel, now this commune, now that district, socializing with all kinds of people that pushed him to the path of sin.

From a place where he received and sold wooden products he made, his carpentry workshop became a famous drug trafficking place in the region, where drug addicts often came whenever they craved drugs. In 2000, Mr. Hiep was discovered and arrested by the police for drug trafficking, and was sentenced to 7 years in prison and served his sentence at the Provincial Police Detention Center.

During his sentence at the Provincial Police Detention Center in Nghi Kim (Vinh City), with the help and encouragement of the prison officers, Mr. Hiep promised himself that he would reform himself to soon return to his family and children.

After serving his prison term, he was determined to rebuild his life through his own labor. Starting from scratch, he and his wife started a plan to raise livestock and poultry.

However, the family business was not smooth sailing, when in just a moment, the epidemic from livestock and poultry pushed him into a difficult situation. All the capital and effort that the couple put in was in vain, along with the borrowed money that had to be paid back.

In the deadlock, Hiep thought of his family's traditional carpentry profession. Because as people's living standards improved, the need to buy household appliances increased. The idea was supported by his family and friends, so he boldly borrowed money from the bank to rebuild his business.

From being the only one doing the processing at home, his carpentry workshop has now expanded in scale and materials, bringing in both income and jobs for many workers with salaries ranging from 10-12 million VND/person/month.

Mr. Hiep's carpentry workshop creates jobs for many workers, including those who once made mistakes.

He shared: The first days of starting a business were hard, there were friends who reached out to help, which made me very grateful. Therefore, after doing business somewhat well, for those who knew me in the same situation as me before, when they got out of prison, I advised them to stay away from the old path soon and try to create jobs to help them with some of the economic burden. Currently, in addition to the carpentry workshop with a full range of furniture such as beds, tables, chairs, cabinets... serving the locality and neighboring areas, the prestigious products of Mr. Hiep's carpentry workshop are also widely sold in markets such as Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, Lao Cai...

Mr. Truong Dinh Thanh - Head of Hung Long Commune Police said: Mr. Hoang Van Hiep is truly a person with a strong will to strive. Not only did he overcome his mistakes to rise up in life, but he also regularly worked with the locality in ensuring security and order as well as helping other circumstances reintegrate into the community.

Mr. Dung