A couple specializes in stealing property at traffic and irrigation works.

On the afternoon of June 18, 2019, the People's Procuracy of Do Luong district coordinated with the People's Court of Do Luong district to open a criminal trial to gain experience in the first instance trial of: Nguyen Van Nam (born in 1990), residing in Do Luong town, Do Luong district; Phan Thi Vinh (born in 1976), residing in Luu Son commune, Do Luong district for the act of: Theft of property.

According to the indictment of the prosecutor's office: From the end of October 2018 to the beginning of 2019, Do Luong District Police continuously received reports from the Do Luong District Road Management Department, the People's Committees of Van Son and Yen Son communes, the Do Luong District Irrigation Enterprise, and the Management Board of Agricultural Projects in the area about thieves stealing irrigation and water regulation equipment and machinery.

Defendants: Phan Thi Vinh, Nguyen Van Nam at the trial. Photo: Truong Thi Duyen

After investigating and collecting sufficient evidence, the Investigation Committee arrested Nguyen Van Nam and seized exhibits including 23 water regulating machines for internal irrigation canals, 06 wire mesh screens, and 01 iron door.

Expanding the investigation, the district police continued to arrest Phan Thi Vinh (born in 1976), residing in block 8, Do Luong town, for being an accomplice in selling assets for Nguyen Van Nam as a helper.

During the investigation, Nam confessed that from October 2018 to early 2019, Nam had committed: 05 thefts of property at irrigation works and trash screens along National Highway 7B and 01 theft from a household in Yen Son commune. The total value of the stolen property was: 86,700,000 VND (Eighty-six million seven hundred thousand dong), and Ms. Phan Thi Vinh had lent Nguyen Van Nam her motorbike four times and used her motorbike once as a means of transportation to commit the crime. The value of the property was: 76,700,000 VND (Seventy-six million seven hundred thousand dong).

Nam first sold all of the above assets at scrap metal stores, and then sold them to Ms. Phan Thi Vinh to get money to buy drugs for himself. After buying Nam's assets, Ms. Vinh brought them back to the scrap metal store to resell for profit.

Regarding their criminal acts before the court, the defendants: Nguyen Van Nam and Phan Thi Vinh bowed their heads and admitted their guilt. The criminal acts of the defendants are serious and affect the security and order in the area, causing danger to society, and need to be strictly tried before the law.

At the end of the trial, the jury sentenced Nguyen Van Nam to 36 months in prison and Phan Thi Vinh to 13 months in prison.