Man sentenced to life imprisonment for earning a huge fee as an interpreter.
(Baonghean.vn) - Hearing that a Laotian man was hiring him to act as a Vietnamese interpreter for a drug dealer, promising a fee of 2,000 USD upon completion, Lau Ba Li readily accepted. However, while awaiting the transaction, Li was arrested.
On March 25th, the Nghe An Provincial People's Court held a first-instance criminal trial to hear the case of Lau Ba Li (born in 1994, residing in Nam Can commune, Ky Son district, temporarily residing in Thong Vieng Kham village, Kham Cot district, Bolikhamsai, Laos) on the charge of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics"
According to the indictment, on June 15, 2023, while Lau Ba Li was at home, Va Bon Ma (approximately 30 years old, residing in Kham Khet district, Bolikhamsai province, Laos) arranged to meet him at a guesthouse in Kham Khet district. Bon Ma suggested that Li and Bon Ma each contribute 20 million Lao Kip to buy 4 "Pink Sheets" (a total of 120 packets of methamphetamine) to bring to Vietnam for resale. Since Li did not have the money, Bon Ma paid for the drugs and then hired Li to accompany him to Vietnam as a Vietnamese interpreter. Bon Ma promised to pay Li 2,000 USD, and Li agreed.
Five days later, the two arrived at the meeting point. Li drove Bon Ma on his motorbike to meet the drug dealer. That evening, Bon Ma and Li went to a forest area in Xay Cham Phon district, Bolikhamsai province, to meet three Laotian men (whose identities are unknown). One of the three men brought a backpack containing drugs, and the group hid their motorbike in the bushes and walked into the forest.
Around 4 PM on June 23, 2023, the group went to a forest area in Thanh Thuy commune, Thanh Chuong district. Three Laotians handed over a backpack containing drugs to Bon Ma and demanded an additional 20,000 Kip. Bon Ma promised to pay the full amount after selling the drugs and took the bag of drugs down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Bon Ma borrowed a motorbike and took Li for about 10km, then rested until the next morning before continuing to Thanh Tien village, Vo Liet commune, Thanh Chuong district. There, Bon Ma told Li to watch the "goods" while he went to meet the drug buyer to collect the money. However, as soon as Bon Ma left, Li was arrested by the police along with over 2.2kg of methamphetamine.
At the trial, defendant Lau Ba Li confessed honestly as charged in the indictment. Li admitted that Bon Ma had enticed him to work as a Vietnamese interpreter, promising him $2,000 USD. Because he didn't have enough money to get married, he accepted the offer.
Lầu Bá Lì also expressed remorse for his actions and hoped the court would consider mitigating his sentence so that he could return home to raise his two young children.
After a comprehensive review of the case, the panel of judges sentenced Lau Ba Li to life imprisonment for the crime of "illegally trading in narcotics".
