Transnational drug ring of corrupt police officers

On June 15, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial of 15 defendants for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking". The defendants include: Tong Kim Son (residing in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City), Cao Xuan Thuy, Vo Van Quy, Dao Duy Thuong, Duong The Anh, Duong Hong Nhat, Nguyen Van Thinh, Va Nhia Ly, Cu Vu, Pham Nhu Hai, Huynh Le Khanh, Chau Thong Cuong, Nguyen Chi Cuong, Nguyen Hang Ni and Thai Vi Dan, all residing in Nghe An.

This is a particularly serious drug trafficking case, involving a large amount of drugs, occurring over a long period of time, with many defendants involved, including foreigners. The defendants set up a network to illegally transport drugs from abroad into Vietnam through many provinces and cities using sophisticated methods.

Defendant Cao Xuan Thuy bought and sold drugs from foreigners and hid them in objects and fruit boxes. Then, Thuy brought the “goods” to Vinh City to sell to Duong The Anh and Duong Hong Nhat, who then sold them to Tong Kim Son.

In addition, Thuy and Dao Duy Thuong sent boxes of fruit containing drugs by passenger bus from Nghe An to Ho Chi Minh City for Tong Kim Son and Vo Van Quy to sell...

In particular, there were also 2 Laotians involved in this ring, assisted by Vo Van Quy, a former officer of the Ho Chi Minh City Police. Quy had many achievements during his work, but lacked self-discipline and training in the face of life's temptations and competition, so he was taken advantage of and lured into a life of crime, directly participating in drug trafficking, assisting Tong Kim Son and his accomplices.

Defendants at trial. Photo: Tran Vu

Meanwhile, two Laotians, Va Nhia Ly and Cu Vu (also known as Va Ba Cu), also participated in other drug rings and were sentenced to death in another case.

Based on the results of the investigation, at about 10:30 p.m. on April 10, in the area of ​​Nguyen Bieu Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, the Working Group of the Drug Crime Investigation Department, Ministry of Public Security caught Tong Kim Son red-handed receiving a cardboard box from a motorbike taxi driver. Inside the box, there were nearly 4.9 kg of crystal meth.

Through investigation of the subjects caught red-handed, the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Police Department uncovered a particularly dangerous transnational drug ring, arresting the 15 subjects mentioned above residing in Ho Chi Minh City, Nghe An and Laos, and seizing many other types of drugs.

At the police station, the suspects confessed: On March 29, 2018, Vo Van Quy met Tong Kim Son at an apartment building in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City. Here, when he learned that Quy would return to Vinh City to attend his niece's engagement, Son told Quy to meet Cao Xuan Thuy to buy crystal meth and send it to him by bus, Vo Van Quy agreed.

On April 6, after buying 5 kg of crystal meth from Va Nhia Ly in an area near the border (on the slope near Bai Viet bridge, in Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district, Nghe An province), Thuy hid it in a cardboard box, camouflaged it with tamarinds and old clothes, then brought it to Que Phong market intersection and sent it by bus to Thai Hoa town for Dao Duy Thuong to receive, while he rented a car and drove himself from Que Phong to Thai Hoa town.

On the afternoon of April 9, Dao Duy Thuong brought the cardboard box to the bus station to send it to Ho Chi Minh City. At about 10:00 p.m. on April 10, 2018, the bus assistant called a motorbike taxi driver waiting for passengers at Lam Hong Bus Station, Ho Chi Minh City to take the cardboard box to the address requested by Son. While Son was riding a motorbike with the motorbike taxi driver, intending to bring it to Vo Van Quy's office to hide it before selling it, the police discovered and caught him red-handed.

When Son was arrested, Quy stood at the agency gate and witnessed the whole incident, so he immediately called his accomplices to inform them. While Huynh Le Khanh escaped and lived in many different locations and did not return home or contact his relatives, renting a motel until he was arrested, Thuy called someone in Ho Chi Minh City to find out if Son was really arrested by the police. However, later, the subjects in this drug ring were arrested one by one by the Investigation Agency.

According to the investigation agency's documents, from the end of 2017 to April 2018, the defendants Tong Kim Son, Cao Xuan Thuy, Vo Van Quy, Dao Duy Thuong, Duong The Anh, Duong Hong Nhat, Pham Nhu Hai, Huynh Le Khanh, Chau Thong Cuong, Nguyen Chi Cuong, Nguyen Hang Ni, Thai Vi Dan, Nguyen Van Thinh, Va Nhia Ly, Cu Vu illegally bought and sold 1,398.804 grams of heroin and 21,901.178 grams of Methamphetamine. Illegally profited over 2.6 billion VND.

At the trial, due to the absence of some defense lawyers for the defendants and the absence of interpreters for the two Lao defendants, the panel of judges decided to postpone the trial. The panel of judges also scheduled the trial to continue on July 7, 2020.