Man uses ambulance to transport drugs

Nghe An Provincial People's Court has just opened a criminal trial of defendant Phan Thanh Lam (born 1984), residing in Kim Son town, Que Phong district, for the crime of "Illegal transportation of drugs".

Phan Thanh Lam lives with Ha Thi Thuy as husband and wife. On September 20, 2021, Ms. Thuy boughtambulancelet Lam drive the patient transport vehicle.

Defendant Phan Thanh Lam and the vehicle transporting drugs. Photo: Tran Vu

On May 10, 2022, Lam drove a woman who had just given birth from Que Phong District Medical Center to the border area between Muong Long and Tri Le communes of Que Phong District. There, Lam met Mua Ba Dinh and was asked by this Mong man to transport drugs. Lam agreed.

On the evening of May 20, Dinh met Lam, gave him a cardboard box and told him to "take it to the customer in Quy Hop, when you're done I'll pay you 10 million VND".

Lam took the cardboard box containing drugs and put it in the ambulance to deliver to the customer. At 10:50 p.m., when Lam drove the ambulance to the Da Quanh slope in Yen Hop commune, Quy Hop district, the police signaled to check the vehicle.

Seeing the police, Lam suddenly changed direction in the ambulance, accelerated and ran into an empty lot and stopped. The task force caught Lam red-handed and discovered a cardboard box in a nearby acacia plantation. The task force asked Lam to pick it up and hand it over, and found 360 grams of drugs inside.

At the trial, the defendant stated that he often drove an ambulance to take patients to the hospital. Because he wanted to make a profit of 10 million VND, he transported drugs for hire.

Regarding the ambulance used to transport drugs, which Ms. Thuy paid for, the investigation agency returned it to this person.

Overview of the online trial. Photo: Tran Vu

The trial was held online. At the trial, defendant Lam confessed honestly and showed remorse for his crime.

The panel sentenced defendant Phan Thanh Lam to 20 years in prison. As for Dinh, because the defendant did not know his background or address, the investigation agency had no basis to prosecute him./.