Entangled in drug use, the young father wept repeatedly in court.
(Baonghean.vn) - Toan was arrested along with his accomplices for participating in a drug trafficking operation. When facing legal consequences, the young father of two small children wept continuously. The defendant argued that he took the drugs out of consideration for a friend and did not profit from it.
"Because of kindness and helping a friend collect a debt, I ended up in legal trouble. I didn't benefit from this case at all. I feel very remorseful and realize it's a valuable lesson for me," said Dang Trong Toan (29 years old), residing in Cong Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, the defendant in the illegal drug trafficking case, during the trial held at the Nghe An Provincial People's Court at the end of August.
According to the indictment, around mid-November 2022, Toan was asked by a friend named Tuan (currently working abroad in Germany) to collect 4.5 million VND that Nguyen Van Truong (29 years old, residing in Khanh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) had borrowed previously.
On the afternoon of November 20th, Toan contacted Truong to order 102 pills of narcotics (priced at 7.2 million VND), requesting that the amount be deducted from the money he still owed Tuan. After receiving the "goods," Toan paid an additional 2.5 million VND and consumed 3 pills.
The following afternoon, Toan took the "goods" to the Xa Doai orange orchard area (in Nghi Dien commune, Nghi Loc district) to sell to a customer in Vinh City, but was caught red-handed by the police during a check. Based on Dang Trong Toan's confession, the police arrested Nguyen Van Truong. Both were prosecuted for the crime.Illegal trafficking of narcotics.
Dang Trong Toan was born into a family with a revolutionary tradition, as both his parents were awarded numerous Resistance War Medals. In his youth, Toan served in the military and was awarded the title of Advanced Soldier. This is a source of pride for him and his family.
Although he didn't pursue a professional military career, upon returning to his hometown, Toàn actively participated in charitable activities. These efforts earned him the affection and respect of many people.
After getting married, Toan became the father of two children. With his children at school age, the financial burden increased. However, instead of focusing on doing honest work, Toan chose the wrong path, leading him to break the law.
Defendant Toan stated that, due to a friendship with a friend living abroad, he agreed when this friend asked him to collect a debt. However, the defendant could not explain why his friend used the money he asked to collect to buy drugs and then use it to settle the debt.
Before the witness stand, Toan repeatedly justified his criminal actions by claiming he did it out of consideration for a friend who owed him money. The defendant broke down in tears, stating that he did not benefit from the case and felt everything collapse around him when the police handcuffed him. “It was only because of consideration for a friend that I got into legal trouble. I feel very remorseful and realize this is a valuable lesson for me,” Toan said, wiping away tears.
Toan shared that during his time in detention, he felt guilty towards his wife, children, and elderly parents. Many nights he was tormented by guilt, blaming himself for so easily falling into the path of drug trafficking.
The trial was attended by Toan's mother, wife, and several relatives. Toan's mother repeatedly broke down in tears as she witnessed her son, on whom she had placed so much hope, committing a crime related to drugs. She hoped he would try to reform, correct his mistakes, and become more mature so that he wouldn't stumble again after his release from prison. Turning back to see his mother's tears, Toan repeatedly apologized and urged her to take care of her health while he was away.
In his final statement, defendant Toan presented several mitigating circumstances to request a reduced sentence, such as: having previously saved someone from drowning, participating in volunteer teams to help flood victims in Central Vietnam, assisting people quarantined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and having parents who were war veterans and awarded numerous resistance medals...
The panel of judges determined that the defendant's criminal act violated the law and was dangerous to society. However, in this case, defendant Dang Trong Toan had several mitigating circumstances, so he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Meanwhile, accomplice Nguyen Van Truong had a bad criminal record, having been imprisoned twice for gambling offenses. Therefore, the court sentenced Truong to 16 years in prison for the crime of illegally trading narcotics.
Sentenced to 15 years in prison, Toan turned his head to apologize to his wife and mother. Although his remorse came too late, if he was determined, there was still a chance to return and fulfill his filial duties to his mother, wife, children, and relatives.
