The fate of the man who went to jail six times for drug offenses.
Having been imprisoned six times, Phan Trung Hung failed to change his ways. He continued to prolong his time in jail by engaging in drug trafficking. This time, his path back to justice seems even more distant…
A downward spiral of mistakes
It's no exaggeration to say that Phan Trung Hung (born in 1979), residing in Quang Trung ward, Vinh City, lives in a prison, as he's been in and out of jail for many years. The eldest of three siblings, he received a high school education, but Hung failed to set a good example for his younger siblings. On the contrary, he has repeatedly caused his parents and relatives distress.
At the age of 19, Phan Trung Hung was imprisoned with a six-month suspended sentence for extortion. After that setback, Hung became involved with drugs. This led to him receiving a 26-month prison sentence for illegal possession of narcotics in 2002.
Having become involved with drugs at a young age and even going to prison for using them, Hung still couldn't break free. Therefore, in 2008, the People's Court of Vinh City sentenced Hung to 27 months in prison for the crime.Illegal trafficking of narcoticsLess than two years later, this young man was sentenced to 30 months in prison, also for drug-related offenses.
Eight months after his release from prison, Phan Trung Hung was arrested again for involvement in another drug case and sentenced to 7 years and 3 months. Not long after his release, this young man added another sentence to his life, but for the same crime. This time, Hung was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
At the end of November 2023, Hung once again completed his prison sentence. One might have thought that after the repeated setbacks in his life, especially as he got older, Hung would turn over a new leaf and start a new life, getting married and having children like everyone else. However, this man reverted to his old ways. This time, Hung spent a large sum of money buying drugs to sell for profit.
In this case, besides Hung, there are two accomplices: Mai Van Thanh (born in 1992), residing in Vinh City, and Gia Xia Cho (born in 1969), residing in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district. All three knew each other from their time serving prison sentences at a prison in Nghe An. After their release, the trio contacted each other to engage in drug trafficking.
According to the indictment, on April 13, 2024, Phan Trung Hung and Mai Van Thanh drove to Cho's house to discuss buying drugs for resale. Cho agreed and promised to notify them when the drugs were available.
The following day, when Cho called to inform him that the "goods" were available, Hung ordered 30 packets of methamphetamine for 60 million dong. Hung did not go to buy the drugs himself but met Thanh at a coffee shop in Vinh City and hired him to purchase the drugs, promising to pay him 10 million dong as a commission.
With travel expenses covered by Hung, Thanh then hired a car to go to Tri Le commune. After receiving 60 million VND from Thanh, Cho sent someone to deliver 30 packages of drugs (weighing 630 grams) to the buyer. Thanh then transported the drugs back to Vinh where he was arrested by the police along with the evidence.
Based on Thanh's testimony, the police arrested Phan Trung Hung. A search of his home yielded 0.09 grams of narcotics. A search of Cho's house uncovered nearly 1 gram of narcotics that he had stored for personal use.
A fitting sentence for those who spread "white death" (heroin).
For the aforementioned actions, the three defendants, Phan Trung Hung, Mai Van Thanh, and Gia Xia Cho, were prosecuted and brought to trial for the crime of illegally buying and selling narcotics. In addition, Hung and Cho were also prosecuted for the crime of illegally possessing narcotics.
Before the witness stand, the defendants admitted to their crimes. Three of them confessed to being former inmates. After serving their prison sentences, driven by greed, the three defendants committed the crimes.
As the defendant who initiated the case, when questioned by the court about the source of the money from drug trafficking, defendant Hung claimed it was accumulated through savings. "I had just been released from prison, so where would I get such a large sum of money to buy drugs?" he remained silent in response to the court's question. Hung stated that after his release from prison he had taken on some part-time jobs to support himself, but did not elaborate.
This was his seventh court appearance, and the defendant seemed quite calm. However, when questioned by the judges about why he had re-offended despite his age and when he would finally reform, Hung remained silent. He then explained that he had once intended to work hard, start a family, and settle down like his peers. However, due to his guilt over his multiple previous convictions and his desire to make money quickly, he fell back into the same trap.
In court, the judge reminded the defendant: "Know when to stop before it's too late. You should stop to repay your loved ones and rebuild your life. Because everyone only lives once, don't confine yourself within the four walls of a prison cell..." Hearing these words of advice, the defendant remained silent. Defendant Hung expressed remorse and asked the court to consider mitigating his sentence. He promised not to repeat his mistakes and to try to correct them to rebuild his life.
It's unclear whether the promise of someone who has spent more time in prison than at home was sincere, but with the aggravating circumstance of recidivism, the initiator of the case, the court sentenced Phan Trung Hung to life imprisonment for two charges: buying, selling, and illegally possessing narcotics. The two other defendants in the case, Mai Van Thanh and Gia Xia Cho, were also sentenced to life imprisonment.
At 45 years old, Hung has accumulated an impressive number of prison sentences, reflecting his reckless lifestyle and blatant disregard for the law. A life sentence is a fitting punishment for someone who chooses to spread "white death" (heroin) to others as a means of livelihood.
