Thousands of drug pills hidden in shoe soles and medicine boxes

On October 18, Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial of defendant Tran Anh Tai (born 1982), residing in Vinh Tan Ward, Vinh City, for the crime of "Illegal transportation of narcotics".

Tai was sentenced to 6 months in prison for the crime of "Theft of propertyof citizens” and 16 years in prison for “Illegal drug trafficking”. In 2016, Tai finished serving his sentence, but in 2020 he was arrested again for drugs.

Defendant Tran Anh Tai in court. Photo: Tran Vu

According to the indictment, around mid-September 2020, through the social network Facebook, Tran Anh Tai talked to an account (Tai does not remember the name) and this person asked him to receive a box of functional foods. Tai agreed and gave that person his phone number.

About a week later, someone brought a box to Tai. Opening it to check, Tai found inside 2 pairs of sneakers, some clothes, 6 boxes and 2 plastic bags containing many blue and white tablets.

Then, someone called Tai to ask him to deliver clothes and 2 pairs of shoes to 2 addresses in Macao.

Tran Anh Tai then asked Pham Anh Tuan (born in 1982, residing in Le Loi ward, Vinh city) to send 2 bags of items to the available address.

About 2 days later, the sender called Tai to say that the pills in the health food bottles and packages were drugs, and told him to keep them for later delivery. This person promised to pay Tai and not let him lose out.

On the afternoon of October 22, Tuan called Tai to report that a package had been returned. Therefore, at 4 p.m. that same day, Tuan went to the post office to receive the returned package. When Tuan had just received the package, the police raided and inspected it, discovering drugs weighing more than 228 grams under the insole of his shoe.

Based on Tuan's testimony, the investigation agency detained Tran Anh Tai on an emergency basis. Searching Tai's house, the authorities discovered many packages and boxes containing drugs with a total weight of more than 2,000 grams.

During the investigation, Tran Anh Tai and Phan Anh Tuan did not admit and did not know that the package sent to Macao was returned with drugs inside, so there was not enough evidence to charge Tai and Tuan with criminal responsibility for more than 228 grams of drugs. Therefore, the People's Procuracy of Hung Nguyen district issued a decision to release Tuan due to insufficient evidence to prosecute the defendant.

The investigation agency determined that in this case, defendant Tran Anh Tai was responsible for transporting more than 2,000 grams of drugs.

At the trial, the defendant Tai stated that he only agreed to help someone he met on social media. At first, the defendant did not know it was drugs until he received a phone call from that person.

Defendant Tai steadfastly denied the charges, claiming that he did not transport drugs as accused. He only admitted to possessing drugs.

After the trial, the panel of judges decided to temporarily suspend the trial to clarify some contents and summon some more people for confrontation.