Greedy for 3 million VND, herbal trader hired to transport poppy flowers

On November 30, the Investigation Police Agency - Nam Tu Liem District Police, Hanoi announced that it had initiated a case, prosecuted the accused and issued a detention order for Nguyen Van Thanh (born 1984), residing in Chinh Cong Commune, Ha Hoa District, Phu Tho Province, to investigate the act of illegally transporting drugs.

Nguyen Van Thanh and evidence at the police station.

Previously, at around 8:00 a.m. on November 21, the working group of the Drug Investigation Police Team of Nam Tu Liem District Police, on duty in My Dinh 2 Ward, Nam Tu Liem District, caught Nguyen Van Thanh red-handed while illegally transporting drugs.

Thanh admitted that the fresh green fruits with stems in the carton were poppy fruits, also known as opium poppies. Thanh transported these goods for a woman named T., whom he met through social networks, in exchange for 3 million VND. The working group drew up a record to seal the evidence and escorted Thanh and related evidence to the police headquarters for investigation.

At the police station, Thanh confessed that he was selling herbs. Through social media, Thanh met a woman named Thao (whose identity has not yet been determined) and had sold products to her many times. Thao asked Thanh to buy poppy seeds for her, but Thanh did not have any.

This amount of opium flowers weighs 16kg.

On November 20, Thao hired Thanh to transport a carton of poppies from Nuoc Ngam Bus Station, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi to My Dinh 2 Ward, and would pay her 3 million VND. Early in the morning of November 21, as agreed with Thao, Thanh rode his motorbike from the motel to Nuoc Ngam Bus Station to receive the goods. There, Thanh met a young man she did not know and gave him a sealed cardboard carton. Although the young man did not say anything, Thanh knew it was poppies. After receiving the goods, Thanh took them back to his motel in My Dinh 2 Ward.

At around 7:20 a.m. the same day, Thanh received a phone call from Thao asking him to bring a box of poppies to My Dinh 2 ward for delivery. While waiting for Thao, Thanh was caught red-handed by the police.

Preliminary examination at the Criminal Technical Department showed that the fresh green fruits with stalks seized from Nguyen Van Thanh were opium fruits with stalks, weighing 16kg.

According to Capital Security