More than 50 years in prison for 3 subjects illegally buying and selling drugs from Lang Son to Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of October 25, the Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial to try Cao Duc Hung (born in 1970), Phan Van Tam (born in 1973), both residing in Vinh City, and Hoang Van Toan (born in 1992), residing in Tan Thanh Commune, Van Lang District, Lang Son Province, for the crime of illegal drug trafficking.

From right to left: defendants Cao Duc Hung, Phan Van Tam and Hoang Van Toan at the trial.

According to the indictment, on May 2, 2016, Cao Duc Hung brought 200 million VND to Phan Van Tam's house and asked Tam to go with Hung to Lang Son to buy drugs. On May 3, when he was in Lang Son, through an acquaintance, Tam contacted Hoang Van Toan. Toan took Hung and Tam to Huong Giang motel (near Tan Thanh border gate, Lang Son) to discuss drug trafficking. Toan agreed to sell Hung 1 kg of crystal meth for 200 million VND. On the evening of May 3, after receiving crystal meth from a man, Toan put it in Tam's bag.

After receiving the drugs, Hung and Tam took a bus to Hung Yen and then another car to Vinh City. At 12:30 on May 4, 2016, when Hung and Tam had just gotten off the bus and entered a roadside cafe, they were arrested by the police. On May 7, Hoang Van Toan was also arrested.

At the trial, Hoang Van Toan and Phan Van Tam admitted to the crimes as stated in the indictment. Defendant Cao Duc Hung did not admit to his crimes, so the panel of judges released the video recording of the moment Hung, Tam and Toan entered the Huong Giang motel to rent a room to discuss and agree on buying and selling drugs. However, Hung affirmed that the man wearing a baseball cap in the video was not him. Meanwhile, Hung's wife and the two defendants Toan and Tam affirmed that the person in the video was defendant Hung.

Although defendant Hung did not admit his crime, based on the investigation documents, the questioning process and debate in court, the panel of judges determined that prosecuting Cao Duc Hung for illegal drug trafficking was the right person and the right crime.

Evidence of the case.

Considering the aggravating and mitigating circumstances and the role of each defendant in the case, the panel sentenced Cao Duc Hung to 20 years in prison, Hoang Van Toan to 18 years in prison, and Phan Van Tam to 16 years in prison for illegal drug trafficking.

It is known that in 1988, Cao Duc Hung was sentenced by the People's Court of Nghe Tinh province to 15 months in prison for theft of citizens' property. In 1991, Hung was sentenced by the People's Court of Quang Tri province to 12 months in prison for illegal exit. In 1993, the People's Court of Nghe An province sentenced Hung to 13 years in prison for robbery and 5 years in prison for theft. During the time of serving his sentence, Hung escaped from prison and was arrested again. The defendant completed his prison sentence on October 2, 2011.

Nhu Binh