Man helps lover 'trade' counterfeit money gets 8 years in prison

(Baonghean.vn) - Helping his lover earn money to pay off his debt, Thang connected his lover with a partner and in just 2 months bought and sold nearly 140 million VND in counterfeit money. Tuyet used this counterfeit money to pay off her debt and sell it for profit.

On the morning of May 24, Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial of Nguyen Tat Thang (born 1970), residing in Quynh Tho commune, Quynh Luu, who was prosecuted by the Provincial People's Procuracy for the crime of "Circulating counterfeit money".

Nguyen Tat Thang at the trial. Photo: Nhu Binh.

According to the indictment, at noon on January 23, 2013, the Economic Security Department of Nghe An Province Police discovered and caught Pham Ngoc Lam (born in 1958, residing in Nghia Dung Commune, Tan Ky) in the act of circulating 177 counterfeit bills worth 500,000 VND. Lam confessed that the counterfeit money belonged to Tran Thi Tuyet (born in 1972), residing in Ky Tan Commune, Tan Ky District.

Expanding the investigation, the authorities determined that because of their relationship, when Tuyet confided that she was in debt, Nguyen Tat Thang connected Tuyet with Duong Thi Thuy (born in 1966), residing in Cao Loc district, Lang Son province. In December 2012, Thang and Tuyet went to Lang Son to meet Thuy and bought 41.8 million VND in counterfeit money (face value 200,000 VND) for 8.5 million VND.

The second time in January 2013, Thang and Tuyet continued to order 96 million VND in counterfeit money (face value 500 thousand) from Thuy, priced at 26 million VND. Tuyet brought all of this counterfeit money back to Nghe An to pay off her debt and gave it to Lam and some others to sell.

Based on Lam's testimony, Tran Thi Tuyet and Duong Thi Thuy were arrested while Nguyen Tat Thang escaped. On November 18, 2016, Thang surrendered to the investigation agency.

The conclusion of the Criminal Techniques Department of Nghe An Provincial Police shows that the 177 500,000 VND bills confiscated from Pham Ngoc Lam and the money collected from Tran Thi Tuyet's creditors are counterfeit money, not money issued by the State Bank of Vietnam.

In the trial at the end of 2013, Nghe An Provincial People's Court sentenced Tran Thi Tuyet to 11 years in prison, Duong Thi Thuy to 10 years in prison, and Pham Ngoc Lam to 6 years in prison for the crime of "Storing and circulating counterfeit money".

Based on the investigation results, the testimony of Tran Thi Tuyet and Duong Thi Thuy as well as the questioning and public debate at the trial, the panel of judges determined that in this case, Nguyen Tat Thang committed the crime of "Circulating counterfeit money" as an accomplice and sentenced the defendant to 8 years in prison./.

Nhu Binh