The price a man pays for being a 'slave' to drugs.
(Baonghean.vn) - In his youth, Luyen became a "slave" to drugs and paid a heavy price. Released from prison in his old age, he continued to spiral into the world of illicit substances, only to be arrested again. Notably, during his third imprisonment, Luyen suffered a stroke, causing his health to deteriorate.
"Selling oneself" to drugs
On the day Lo Van Luyen (born in 1968), residing in Luong Minh commune, Tuong Duong district, was brought to trial for "illegally trading narcotics," the defendant repeatedly turned his head to look for his relatives. Further down in the courtroom, several relatives were present. On their weathered faces, sadness was evident as they reunited with Luyen under such ironic circumstances.
With his small stature, no one would guess this was the third time Luyen had been brought to trial for drug-related offenses. Before becoming a drug dealer, Luyen was an addict. From being an addict, this man engaged in drug trafficking. Ultimately, in 2002, Lo Van Luyen paid the price with a 14-year prison sentence. A year later, Luyen was sentenced to another 10 years in prison, also for "illegally trading in narcotics." The combined sentence Luyen had to serve was 24 years in prison.
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Defendant Lo Van Luyen at the trial. Photo: Tran Vu |
By 2019, Luyen had served his prison sentence and returned to his hometown to live with his wife and children. It was thought that after this major setback in his life, the husband and father would change, focusing on work to make up for his loss, but only a few years later he was back in jail. His third offense for the same crime left many people disgusted with Luyen.
Accordingly, at noon on December 16, 2022, Lo Van Luyen walked to the hill area near his house to buy drugs from an unknown person. After agreeing on the price, Luyen gave 20 million VND and received several packets of methamphetamine and heroin. Luyen used a small amount of the purchased drugs and hid the rest to sell for profit.
Three days later, Luyen sold a small amount of heroin to an unknown young man for 200,000 VND. That same afternoon, police searched Luyen's house and discovered over 85 grams of various types of drugs hidden inside. For this act, Luyen was prosecuted for "Illegal trafficking of narcotics."
In his twilight years, he battled illness while serving time in prison.
During the trial, Luyen sincerely admitted his guilt and showed remorse. The defendant testified that after being released from prison, he relapsed into drug addiction. Lacking a stable job and addicted to drugs, his life was trapped in a vicious cycle with no way out. Luyen blindly followed his own path, even though he knew a tragic end awaited him.
This was the third time Luyen had been involved in legal trouble at an advanced age, causing him to fall ill during his detention. The defendant stated before the court that he suffered a stroke during his detention and had to be hospitalized for an extended period. His health has not yet recovered. Defendant Luyen requested the court to consider mitigating circumstances so that he could return to his family and receive medical treatment sooner.
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Defendant Luyen has been sentenced to prison for the third time for drug-related offenses. |
The court adjourned for deliberation, but his relatives remained seated below the courtroom without approaching. Luyen tried to turn his head to look at everyone. After much hesitation, the defendant finally asked his relatives to remember to send money so he could buy medicine… Having gone through so many misfortunes caused by his own actions, perhaps falling ill while in prison was what worried Luyen the most. Therefore, his greatest wish was to have money for medical treatment.
The panel of judges of the Provincial People's Court determined that the defendant had sufficient awareness to understand the dangers of drugs. The defendant has a bad criminal record, and his actions are dangerous to society. The buying and selling of drugs will have serious consequences for the younger generation, affecting the continuation of the lineage due to drug abuse and disrupting local security and order. Therefore, the court sentenced Lo Van Luyen to 16 years in prison for the crime of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics."drug".
In his youth, Luyen "sold" his entire youth to drugs. In his old age, with failing health, Lo Van Luyen had to pay the price for his mistake with a 16-year prison sentence. This is certainly a costly lesson for those who sell themselves to drugs, because once you're involved, sooner or later you'll be entangled in legal troubles and live in prison.
