The end of the man who trafficked heroin to… cure his illness
Despite being a grandfather, Ha Thanh Xuyen did not set an example for his children and grandchildren and instead committed drug trafficking again. At the trial, the defendant claimed that he sold drugs to get money for medical treatment, but that excuse could not help him escape prison.
Just released from prison and reoffended
Ha Thanh Xuyen (66 years old), lives in Chau Binh commune, Quy Chau district. Like many families in the area, Xuyen and his wife farm and raise livestock to develop the economy and raise 4 children. It was thought that when the children gradually settled down, the burden would be reduced. But then, this subject broke the law in his old age.
In 2021, Ha Thanh Xuyen was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison for "Illegal possession of narcotics". It was thought that after that stumble, Xuyen would turn to good, but this subject continued to be entangled in the law. This time, the man in his 70s was trafficking drugs.
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The indictment shows that on the morning of January 7, 2024, Ha Thanh Xuyen received a phone call to order 1 heroin stick from a man of unknown origin and address. From the above "order", Xuyen immediately contacted Viet - a man he had met before to buy 1 heroin stick for 28 million VND. At this time, because he did not have enough money, Xuyen proposed to pay 10 million VND in advance, the remaining amount was deferred and the seller agreed.
Early in the morning of January 9, as scheduled, Xuyen took a bus to Tay Hieu intersection, Thai Hoa town. At this time, Viet got on the bus and walked to the row of seats where Xuyen was sitting. After that, the two sides carried out a drug transaction. After buying heroin, Xuyen got off the bus and contacted the customer.
To avoid detection by the authorities, Xuyen chose the hospital as the place to conduct the transaction. At the end of the parking lot of a hospital in Thai Hoa town, Ha Thanh Xuyen delivered more than 44 grams of drugs to a customer.
While this subject was buying and selling drugs, he was discovered and caught red-handed by the police. Taking advantage of the loophole, the drug buyer quickly escaped. With the above behavior, Xuyen was prosecuted and brought to trial for the crime of Illegal Drug Trafficking.
Message to relatives
At the trial, the defendant confessed his motive for committing the crime. Xuyen confessed that he sold drugs to have money for medical treatment. “I used heroin to treat insomnia before,” the defendant also explained that he had joint pain, leg pain, and insomnia for many years… and had no money for medical treatment, so he sold drugs. Before the defendant’s testimony, the Trial Panel reminded that he could not use illness as an excuse to justify his actions of selling and spreading drugs to society, while he had previously been in prison for drugs.
When questioned about the money used to commit the crime, the defendant stated that he used the money from selling fish. According to the defendant, his family has two fish ponds, which generate an annual income of about 15 million VND. The defendant used 10 million VND from that money to trade drugs and then resell them for profit. The defendant clearly knew that his actions were against the law and expressed remorse for his crimes.
During the trial, the defendant repeatedly stated that he was in poor health or sick, asking the court to consider reducing his sentence. None of his relatives were present at the trial that day. The defendant repeatedly looked down to find his relatives, but saw only empty rows of benches.
Therefore, in his final statement before the court deliberated, Xuyen told the panel of judges: asking the court to tell the defendant's relatives to come to the prison to visit him, so that the defendant could have money to buy medicine. At the same time, Xuyen reminded the relatives to remember to bring the defendant's previous medical records. Xuyen appeared sad because he had previously asked someone to inform the family about the trial schedule, but for some reason, no one came to court.
In this crime, in addition to worrying about the prison sentence, Xuyen also worried about his health. According to the defendant, due to his old age, weak health and many illnesses, he needed to see a doctor and take medicine regularly.
The trial ended, Ha Thanh Xuyen was sentenced by the first instance court to 16 years in prison for illegal drug trafficking. Xuyen was escorted to the detention center. As he walked, the defendant kept turning his head back...
