'Two friends' from the same hometown invite each other to trade drugs
(Baonghean.vn) - Although 10 years apart in age, the "two friends" from the same hometown have the same idea of getting rich by selling drugs.
On December 4, Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial of two defendants Nguyen Gia Thang (born 1981) and Hoang Mai Hien (born 1971), both residing in Dai Dong commune, Thanh Chuong district, for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking”.
According to the indictment, in 2017, Nguyen Gia Thang met a prisoner named Duong in Que Phong district who was also serving a sentence for drug crimes. After being released from prison, at the end of 2022, Thang went to Kim Son town, Que Phong district to visit, met Duong again and exchanged contact phone numbers.
On February 4, Duong contacted Thang to discuss selling 4 orders of crystal meth (each order is equivalent to 100g) for 18 million VND/100g. Since they knew each other, Duong let Thang buy it on credit, and after selling it, he would pay. Thang agreed to buy it and sell it for profit. After that, a strange man called Thang to meet him at the dike road in Thanh Dong commune, Thanh Chuong district, and showed him where the drugs were hidden for Thang to receive. After receiving the drugs, Thang brought them home, put them in a raincoat bag, and hid them in the family bathroom.
At noon on February 5, Thang contacted Hoang Mai Hien to find someone to buy drugs for 20 million VND/100 grams. Hien contacted a man named Tuan "beo" (Vinh city) to discuss finding someone to buy drugs and agreed on a price of 25 million VND/100 grams. Tuan told Hien to bring the drugs to Vinh city to sell to customers and collect the money.
At around 1 p.m. on February 6, Thang contacted Hien to ask about a customer buying drugs. Hien informed Thang that a customer had ordered a quantity of crystal meth, and arranged a transaction location at Thanh Chuong District Hospital.
Thang took out the drugs, weighed them, wrapped them in plastic bags, put them in his jacket pocket, and went to Thanh Chuong District Hospital. At around 3 p.m. the same day, Hien hired a taxi to pick up Thang at the meeting point, and together they went to Vinh City to make the transaction. However, when they reached the bypass in Hung Nguyen District, Tuan "beo" got in the car. When the car reached Hung Chinh gas station, Thang got out of the car and told Hien to go get the money and then come back to meet Thang to deliver the drugs. Hien and Tuan "beo" continued on their way. When they reached the foot of the overpass in Cua Nam Ward, Vinh City, Tuan got out of the car to meet the drug buyer, while Hien sat in the car waiting. At this time, Vinh City Police divided into two working groups and arrested Nguyen Gia Thang, confiscating 100.27 grams, and the second group arrested Hoang Mai Hien. On the same day, the authorities searched Thang's residence and confiscated 322 grams of crystal meth that he was hiding to sell for profit.
Authorities determined that Thang must bear criminal responsibility for the act of buying and selling 422.2 grams of drugs and Hoang Mai Hien must bear responsibility for the act of illegally buying and selling 100.2 grams of crystal meth.
At the trial, both defendants confessed to their crimes. They admitted to buying drugs to sell for profit. Both defendants did not dispute their crimes but asked the jury to reduce their sentences so they could return home soon to take care of their elderly mother.
The panel of judges determined that defendant Nguyen Gia Thang was the initiator and played the main role in the case, while defendant Hoang Mai Hien played a secondary role and used less drugs. Both defendants had bad personal histories but were given mitigating circumstances such as honest confessions and repentance.
As for the man who bought the drugs named Tuan "beo" and the man named Duong who sold the drugs, but the defendants did not know their background or specific address, so the investigation agency had no basis to verify.
Considering the case as a whole, the People's Court sentenced Nguyen Gia Thang to 20 years in prison and Hoang Mai Hien to 18 years in prison for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking".
