The bitter ending for the brother-in-law and sister-in-law "shipper" couple.
Chắt and Thành are brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They teamed up to "ship" a package with a shipping fee of 10 million VND. However, before the shipment reached its destination, they were arrested by the police along with over 1.2 kg of drugs. Due to the large quantity of drugs, both received a severe sentence under the law. But perhaps the greatest punishment the two defendants received was witnessing the pain of their loved ones and young children.
The brother-in-law drove his sister-in-law around in his car to deliver drugs.
At the People's Court of Nghe An province on a day in mid-February, the drizzling rain made the cold even more biting. Amidst the chill, young children still accompanied their adults to the courtroom. They were relatives of two defendants being tried for "illegally transporting narcotics." The two defendants in the case were Nguyen Dinh Thanh (28 years old) and Pham Xuan Chat (35 years old), both residing in Tru Son commune, Do Luong district (Nghe An province).
The two defendants had a close relationship as brother-in-law and sister-in-law, which intensified the grief of their relatives attending the trial. Many shed tears witnessing the two defendants, who shared a close relationship, standing before the witness stand with their hands cuffed.
Holding his two young grandchildren in his arms, the man, over 60 years old, sadly explained that they were the children of the defendant, Chắt. Since their father was arrested, their mother has been working at a factory to earn a living, leaving the children to rely on their paternal grandparents for care. Today, they brought the children to court for a family reunion after many days of separation. However, because they are so young, the children played innocently despite the adults repeatedly reminding them to call their father's name.
Sitting in the courtroom, Chắt repeatedly turned her head to look at her children with teary eyes. The defendant expressed remorse for her mistakes that had plunged her family into tragedy. More than anything, she felt it was she who had caused her children to live in material and emotional deprivation.
The root cause of Pham Xuan Chat's crime began with an invitation from his brother-in-law, Nguyen Dinh Thanh. According to the indictment, on December 18, 2023, Thanh was hired by a man named Hoang Van Hung (whose identity and background are unknown) to transport two sheets (i.e., 60 packages of methamphetamine) to Que Phong district (Nghe An province) for a fee of 10 million VND. Thanh agreed to the offer.
Knowing that his brother-in-law owned a pickup truck, Thanh hired Pham Xuan Chat to drive him to pick up the drugs. They agreed on a fare of 4 million VND for the trip. On December 22, 2023, the person who hired him contacted Thanh, urging him to pick up the drugs and providing the phone number of the sender. Thanh then called to agree on the location and time for the drug pickup.
That same evening, Chắt drove Thành to a mountainous district in Nghệ An province to pick up the drugs. Upon reaching the intersection in Tri Lễ commune, Quế Phong district, following the seller's instructions, Thành went to the ditch and found a box containing the drugs, so he took it into the car.
After obtaining the drugs, Thanh asked his brother-in-law to drive him home. However, when the two were traveling to Chau Kim commune, Que Phong district, they were arrested by a task force from the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department. The evidence seized in the case was over 1.2 kg of methamphetamine.
At the trial, the two defendants admitted to the crimes as charged in the indictment. Defendant Thanh testified that he agreed to transport the drugs for hire because of a promise of 10 million VND. To facilitate the drug transportation, he hired his brother-in-law, defendant Chắt, for 4 million VND.
Despite knowing about his brother-in-law's wrongdoing, the defendant Chắt, instead of preventing it, agreed to assist. Therefore, in this case, the defendant is being prosecuted by the authorities for actively assisting in the transportation of drugs.
Late repentance
Throughout the trial, the defendant Chắt repeatedly shed tears, especially when mentioning his children. Chắt's four children are still young, at the age where they need to eat and study. He choked back tears as he shared that during his time in detention, he felt guilty towards his wife, children, relatives, and family. Many nights he tormented himself, blaming himself for so easily falling into the path of drug trafficking.
Overwhelmed with remorse and choked with emotion, the defendant repeatedly wiped his face with his hand. He expressed his regret and asked the court to consider reducing his sentence so that he could have an opportunity to correct his mistakes and make amends for the suffering his wife and children had endured. In his final statement before the court adjourned to deliberate, defendant Thanh not only asked the panel of judges to consider mitigating his own sentence but also that of defendant Chắt. Afterward, Thanh turned to Chắt and apologized for dragging his brother-in-law into this mess.
In the courtroom, Chắt's young children were led inside by relatives. Being so young, they didn't fully understand what was happening and continued playing innocently despite their father's repeated calls. Seeing their innocence, Chắt's tears flowed even more. The young father choked back tears as he apologized to his children, urging them to study hard and obey their elders.
Seeing her son sobbing, the defendant's mother comforted him. Suppressing her own sadness, she told her son, "If you've made a mistake, try to correct it." After a moment of silence, she added, "Remember to listen to the officers inside, try your best to improve so you can return soon..." The mother continued to reassure her son, telling him to rest assured that his parents would do their best to care for and educate him.
Hearing her mother's words of advice, Chắt cried even more. The misguided child apologized to her mother and entrusted her with the responsibility of caring for and raising her children to be good people.
Their meeting was interrupted when the court announced the verdict. The court determined that the defendants' actions violated the law and constituted the crime of illegally transporting narcotics. In this case, defendant Nguyen Dinh Thanh played the main role and was sentenced to life imprisonment. For his active role in assisting the crime, defendant Pham Xuan Chatt was sentenced to 20 years in prison for "illegally transporting narcotics".
Regarding the man named Hung, whom the defendant Thanh claimed to have hired to transport drugs, since he is not present in the locality, the investigating agency has no basis to prosecute him in this case.
The trial concluded late in the afternoon, and the two defendants were escorted by authorities to a van. Defendant Chắt tried to turn his head to look at his wife and children in the chaotic crowd. His tears of remorse came too late. The case also serves as a cautionary tale for many others, warning them not to be tempted by immediate gain and recklessly pursue a life of crime.
