Interprovincial drug trafficking ring formed after meeting with 'benefactor'
(Baonghean.vn) - When Nguyen Duc Cong was transporting goods, his car ran out of oil and was helped by a local. Cong kept in touch with this "benefactor" and later an inter-provincial drug trafficking ring was formed.
On December 25, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial of four defendants: Va Ba Cho (born in 1982), residing in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, Nghe An; Nguyen Duc Cong (born in 1980), residing in Hai Duong city, Hai Duong province; Le Minh Thang (born in 1989), residing in Hiep Hoa district, Bac Giang province and Nguyen Van Thuy (born in 1973), residing in Pho Yen city, Thai Nguyen province.
According to the case, Nguyen Duc Cong is a driver for a transport company based in Hanoi. In August 2022, while transporting goods to Tri Le commune, Que Phong district (Nghe An), Cong's car ran out of oil and was helped by Va Ba Cho. Cong and Cho exchanged phone numbers. After returning to Hanoi, Cho contacted Cong many times to ask about him, and at the same time asked if he had drugs to sell, and invited Cong to buy them to resell.
Around the beginning of September 2022, Cong told Le Minh Thang (a colleague at the company) that Cho was selling drugs. Thang got Cho's phone number to contact him. On September 5, 2022, Thang contacted Cho to meet in Que Phong to discuss buying and selling drugs. The two sides agreed that Cho would sell 1 heroin cake for 120 million VND. After returning to Hanoi, Thang informed Cong and agreed to find a buyer.
On September 26, 2022, Thang went to Nguyen Van Thuy's house to discuss drug trafficking. Thuy agreed to buy 1 heroin cake from Thang for 200 million VND. Thang and Cong agreed to go to Que Phong to buy "goods" from Cho to resell to Thuy.
On October 15, Cong took a bus from Hanoi to Que Phong to meet Cho to buy a heroin cake. Cong gave Cho 70 million VND and asked to owe him 50 million VND. Cho agreed and went to the border area with Laos and Huoi Moi village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district to buy a heroin cake from a man of unknown origin for 120 million VND. Cho gave this man 70 million VND and asked to defer the debt of 50 million VND.
After taking the bus to the North, Thang, Cong and Thuy went to Thuy's house to discuss the purchase. Then, Thuy took a heroin cake from Cong and brought it out, then brought back 200 million VND. Thang gave Thuy 3 million VND. On October 18, 2022, Thang called Cho to transfer 50 million VND so that Cho could pay the remaining debt for buying drugs for the Mong man.
Seeing that the case was successful, from October 18 to 23, 2022, Thuy continued to contact Thang and bought 1 heroin cake like the previous time. Thang told Cong and Cong contacted Cho again to place the "order". However, this time, when Cong was holding the "order" on a bus to Hanoi, he was discovered and caught red-handed by the police.
Authorities determined that because the quantity of 1 heroin cake seized on October 25, 2023 was of the same type, characteristics and origin as the previously consumed heroin cake, Va Ba Cho, Nguyen Duc Cong, Le Minh Thang and Nguyen Van Thuy must bear criminal responsibility for the act of illegally buying and selling 2 heroin cakes with a total weight of 700.32 grams.
At the trial, the three defendants Va Ba Cho, Nguyen Duc Cong and Le Minh Thang all admitted to the crimes as charged in the indictment. Only Nguyen Van Thuy did not admit to the crimes and claimed that he was wronged.
However, with the evidence and proof collected during the investigation and through the defendants' statements, the panel of judges had grounds to confirm the criminal acts of this defendant.
Considering the case comprehensively, the panel sentenced Va Ba Cho to prison.lifeThe defendants Nguyen Duc Cong, Le Minh Thang and Nguyen Van Thuy were all sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking".
