The journey to track down the 'kingpin'

A troubled past

Born into a poor family living by the Lam River, Le Van Truong (born in 1972), residing in Hung Long commune, Hung Nguyen district, was the eldest of three brothers. With a playful nature, all three brothers chose their own paths to wealth instead of pursuing education.

Lacking social skills and influenced by friends, at only 27 years old, Truong received his first sentence for illegal drug trafficking, serving 16 years in prison, leaving behind his elderly parents, wife, children, and siblings. It was thought that Truong's early misstep would be a lesson for the whole family, but just as Truong was about to finish his sentence, his wife, Pham Thi My (born in 1973), was sentenced to 17 years by the Nghe An Provincial People's Court for the same crime.

As the eldest son, Truong and his wife forced his parents to take care of their grandchildren in their old age. In early 2013, Truong's parents received shocking news: his two younger brothers, Le Van Kiem and Le Van Hanh, had been arrested by the Binh Duong Provincial Police. Through inquiries, the family learned that their two remaining sons were also involved in a massive drug trafficking ring dealing in 600 blocks of heroin. As the ringleaders, Kiem and Hanh were sentenced to death by the Binh Duong Provincial People's Court...

And, in 2015, Le Van Truong completed his prison sentence, but "old habits die hard," and Truong returned to his old ways with increasingly sophisticated and reckless methods.

The kingpin was masquerading as an agricultural product seller.

After being released from prison, Le Van Truong opened a small stall selling agricultural products and soft drinks, but in reality, this was a cover to deceive law enforcement and allow Truong to meet with his accomplices in the drug trafficking ring.

He frequently went to Que Phong district to pick up goods, but in reality, he went to the Thong Thu border gate area to contact some Lao individuals to obtain large quantities of drugs to smuggle into southern provinces for consumption. To avoid detection by authorities, Truong only brought back agricultural products, while the "hot goods" were secretly delivered by his accomplices, who returned the same night.

Notably, Truong always carried a small knife with him, primarily to use for cutting open goods, but it also served as a weapon to fiercely resist the arresting forces.

The shady dealings of Truong quickly caught the attention of the detectives from the Drug Crime Investigation Department. With their highly "professional," cunning, and audacious methods, this drug trafficking ring had existed for a long time. Having grasped the modus operandi of the suspects and determined the complexity of the drug trafficking network led by Le Van Truong, the investigators established Special Case 918T to combat and dismantle it. Immediately after the Special Case was established, the most experienced detectives were deployed to cut down this network.

According to intelligence gathered from the investigators, Truong would take advantage of the rainy weather and the September 2nd holiday in 2019 to go directly to Que Phong to meet with Lao nationals to obtain the "goods." Determining that the time was ripe for the raid, on the morning of August 28, 2019, the special task force deployed multiple reconnaissance teams in coordination with the Thong Thu Border Guard Post and other professional forces, deploying troops from Hung Nguyen to the Thong Thu border gate area, while simultaneously monitoring all movements of the suspect.

At that time, the investigators faced numerous difficulties in their covert operations and surveillance due to the extremely harsh weather conditions. Nghe An was heavily affected by Typhoon No. 4. Meanwhile, the suspects operated at night, making it very easy for the investigators to be exposed during their movements, covert operations, and roadblocks. However, the investigators remained determined to overcome all difficulties, stay close to the area, apply professional methods, ensure absolute secrecy, and were determined to successfully apprehend the suspects.

At approximately 8 PM on August 28, 2019, Truong left his house heading towards Hung Nguyen – Que Phong. Around 2 AM the following morning, he arrived at the Phu Phuong intersection in Tien Phong commune, Que Phong district, and rested at a friend's house. When it was fully light, he continued driving his motorbike alone to Kim Son town.

At 5 PM on August 29, 2019, the detectives spotted Truong meeting with two unidentified men walking down from the edge of the forest. They flashed their flashlights to signal Truong. The drug transaction took only a few minutes. Believing the suspects had just completed the drug deal and that Truong would be taking the "goods" home that night, the detectives closely monitored Truong's movements, waiting for the opportune moment to arrest him.

At approximately 11:45 PM on August 29, 2019, the suspect arrived at the Vinh bypass area in Nghi Hoa commune, Nghi Loc district, and suddenly stopped his vehicle by the roadside. Truong opened the trunk and took out a large knife for self-defense.

Sensing that the time was ripe to "cast the net," the detectives were ordered to quickly tighten the cordon and approach the suspect. Although surprised, he quickly regained his composure, brandishing a knife to resist the authorities in an attempt to escape. However, he was apprehended in a matter of moments. During the search, the police seized two blocks of heroin and 1 kg of methamphetamine from the trunk of Truong's motorbike.

Death sentence for 1.6 kg of drugs.

In late February 2020, the People's Court of Nghe An province held a first-instance trial for Le Van Truong on charges of illegally trafficking narcotics. This was the second time Truong had appeared in court for this crime, so he understood the sentence he would receive. Unlike other inmates, Truong did not look back to find his family because he no longer had any relatives; his parents were old and frail, and having spent 16 years in prison, Truong had no true friends.

Faced with irrefutable evidence, Truong admitted to all his illegal activities. He confessed to regularly colluding with Laotian individuals to purchase large quantities of drugs to supply addicts in the lowlands and to distribute them to southern provinces for illicit profit. The drugs seized were purchased by Truong for 300 million VND. However, he had only paid 200 million VND upfront, owing 100 million VND. He was transporting the drugs home to smuggle them into Ho Chi Minh City for sale when he was discovered and arrested by law enforcement.

According to the examination, the seized evidence included 697.36 grams of narcotics and 988.83 grams of methamphetamine. Therefore, Le Van Truong is criminally liable for 1,686.19 grams of narcotics.

Considering the large quantity of drugs the defendant trafficked, his bad character, the fact that he committed the crime as a dangerous repeat offender, and his inability to be reformed, the court sentenced Le Van Truong to death for the crime of illegally trafficking narcotics.