Drug addict goes to hospital to steal phone, found guilty of "illegal possession of drugs"

Mr. Bui Dinh Ha, chief of police of Kim Son town (Que Phong district) said: Receiving the report of a lost phone from the security guard of Que Phong district medical center, the town police immediately arrived to grasp the situation, deployed to surround, intercept, and arrest Quang Van Thanh (born in 1993), residing in Co Noong village, Muong Noc commune, Que Phong district (the subject's house is behind near Que Phong medical center).

Searching Quang Van Thanh, a small package containing white powder suspected to be heroin was also found.

Subject Quang Van Thanh (sitting next to the filing cabinet).Photo: Hung Cuong

Through investigation, Quang Van Thanh confessed: On the afternoon of January 23, Thanh loitered around the patient's treatment area. If he saw the owner being negligent, he would take the property and sell it to buy drugs. At around 4:45 p.m., he saw patient Lo Thi Ha (in Pieng Luong village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong, who had just had an appendectomy) had a smartphone at the head of the bed. Taking advantage of the negligence, Thanh went in to take the phone and ran away from Que Phong medical center, leaving Ha's husband, Ha Van Quang, helpless.

Upon receiving the news of the loss of the patient's family's property, the security guard of Que Phong Medical Center immediately reported the incident to the police department of Kim Son town (Que Phong).

After stealing the phone (worth more than 2 million VND), Quang Van Thanh sold it for 600,000 VND and then bought drugs to use and was arrested around 11pm the same day.

Currently, Thanh has been prosecuted and temporarily detained by Que Phong district police for "illegal possession of drugs" and is under further investigation.