Using drugs to pay workers because 'it's cheaper than paying cash'

Hire drug addicts to work on the family's farm and pay them fairly.drug, And Ba Lia, born in 1998 and Lau Y Xai, born in 1994 (both residing in Nhot Kho village, Bac Ly commune, Ky Son district, Nghe An province) were arrested and brought to trial on the morning of November 24, 2020.

Defendants Va Ba Lia and Lau Y Xai. Photo: Hoang Tuan

According to the indictment, at around 4:00 p.m. on June 6, 2020, Lau Y Xai was given 3 blocks of drugs by her husband, Va Ba Khu, to pay Lo Me Nguyet, who lives in Na Kho village, Bac Ly commune (Ky Son), for working on the farm the next day. Y Xai hid the drugs in his shirt pocket and went to get firewood. At around 5:00 p.m. the same day, he was caught red-handed by the working group of Ky Son District Police and the drugs were seized. Through Xai's testimony, the Investigation Agency determined that Va Ba Lia (Xai's brother-in-law) was the drug supplier and regularly used drugs to pay hired farm workers, so Ky Son District Police urgently arrested Va Ba Lia.

During the investigation, Va Ba Lia confessed that he hired Luong Bun My, residing in Na Kho village, Bac Ly commune, to harvest rice for his family three times and each time he failed.pay1 package of drugs for My. Seeing that this payment was cheaper than paying in cash, Lia provided drugs to her brother Va Ba Khu to do the same.

At the trial, the defendants confessed and admitted all the crimes as stated in the indictment of the Procuracy, and asked the panel of judges to reduce their sentences. Based on the nature and severity of the crimes, the panel sentenced Va Ba Lia to 7 years in prison and Lau Y Xai to 27 months in prison. Va Ba Khu is currently on the run, and the Investigation Agency has issued a wanted notice. Once arrested, they will be prosecuted.