The 15-year journey of a 'female monster' on the run after trafficking drugs with her father

Father and son traffic drugs together

On the day his daughter Vi Thi Nga (born in 1984), residing in Chau Thon commune, Que Phong district, was brought to trial for the crime of “Illegal drug trafficking”, Mr. Vi Van Nghiec (born in 1960) was also present at the court early. Mr. Nghiec and his daughter were both involved in a drug trafficking case 15 years ago. However, the father had already served his 18-year prison sentence, while Nga, because she escaped, waswanted, was arrested so he was brought to trial today. As soon as he met his father, Nga burst into tears...

The drug trafficking case that Nga participated in happened in April 2006. That year, a woman named Vi Thi Oanh (born in 1962) rented Mr. Nghiec's house to sell drinks. Among the many customers who visited the shop was a man named Meo. In October 2006, this familiar customer asked Oanh and Nga to find a source to sell drugs to make a profit. The two sides negotiated that Meo would take care of the source of the "goods", and the proceeds would be divided largely among the sellers.

After being released from prison for more than a year, Mr. Nghiec went to court to advise his daughter to try to reform well. Photo: Tran Vu

The deal was successful, Meo met Nghiec to hire him to pick up drugs. Because he was promised a good salary, Nghiec walked into the forest to get 35.8 grams of drugs. After bringing them home, Nghiec and Nga divided them into 10 "chi" to sell to customers.

More than a month later, because she could not sell the “goods”, Oanh gave the drugs to Nghiec to return to Meo. However, on the way, Nghiec saw the police patrolling, so he took the drugs and returned home.

On November 7, 2006, a customer came to ask Oanh to buy drugs. While Vi Thi Oanh was selling drugs to the customer, the police raided and arrested her along with the evidence. After learning that Oanh and her father were arrested and brought to trial, Vi Thi Nga quickly fled the area.

15 years on the run

When asked by the jury about her escape, defendant Nga stated: “After hearing that her father and Mrs. Oanh were arrested, the defendant was afraid so she fled to another place to live and work. A few months later, someone reported that Nga was wanted by the police. Out of fear, the defendant followed a group of people.cross the border to Chinauntil caught".

Across the border, Nga worked as a hired hand and lived as husband and wife with a fellow countryman. Later, Nga gave birth to two children in 2013 and 2014. During this time, although she had a stable life, knowing that she was wanted, Nga limited contact with Vietnamese people and absolutely did not return to her country.

Defendant Vi Thi Nga cried throughout the trial. Photo: Tran Vu

Until 2015, the news of her mother's death was reported. After many days and months of thinking, Nga decided to secretly return home to mourn her mother. This time, the fugitive moved secretly, and a few days later returned to China, so the authorities did not detect the presence of the fugitive in the locality. After returning to China to work for a while, the "temporary" husband decided to take the two children back to Vietnam first, leaving only Nga in a foreign country.

The female defendant shared that she loved and missed her child so much that she wanted to return home. This was a time that made her think a lot. But because she did not have enough courage to face the law, she stopped. "I always live in anxiety, having to fight mentally because of my escape," the defendant stated.

In early 2021, the Covid-19 epidemic in China became complicated. Illegal workers, including Nga, were deported to Vietnam by the local government. While Vi Thi Nga was in quarantine in Quang Ninh province, she was arrested by the police under a wanted notice. So after 15 years of being on the run, living in hiding, and being wanted, Vi Thi Nga had to be handcuffed.

“Dad, don't abandon my children”

On the day of the trial, the defendant kept sobbing, causing his testimony to be interrupted. Nga said she ran away because she was afraid, even though she knew her father had been arrested and imprisoned. The defendant also recounted the days of working for hire and living in hiding in a foreign country. “Since the day I ran away and was wanted, I have always lived in anxiety, sometimes even having nightmares in my sleep. There were times when I wanted to surrender but did not have the courage,” the defendant stated.

When facing the verdict, the defendant cried and asked for a lighter sentence. “I know I was wrong. My husband has now married someone else. I ask the court to consider a lighter sentence so that I can return home soon to take care of my children,” Nga stated in her final statement.

After considering the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the panel sentenced Vi Thi Nga to 11 years in prison for the crime of Illegal drug trafficking. Hearing the verdict, Nga raised her handcuffed hands to cover her face and burst into tears. Seeing this, her father spoke up to encourage her: "If you behave well, your sentence will be reduced. I have already served my sentence." In between sobs, Nga continued to plead: "Dad, don't abandon my children. Please take care of them for me." Before the father's "yes" from below could finish, Nga was led to a waiting covered truck.

Just because of the promise of illegal money from drugs, the father and daughter had to pay the price with severe sentences of the law. Regret were the two words that Mr. Nghiec repeated over and over again when he saw his daughter crying and getting into the truck, while he himself had just stepped out of the prison gate.