Sentenced to prison for being asked to transport drugs for sale.
(Baonghean.vn) - Tong himself helped Ho count and sort the money that the partner had paid to buy the drugs. Xong Ba Tong was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
On August 27th, the Provincial People's Court opened a trial to hear the case of Xong Ba Tong (born in 1988), residing in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, on the charge of "illegally trading narcotics".
According to a prior agreement, on the morning of March 17, 2018, Xong Xai Ho (residing in Chau Thon commune, Que Phong district) brought 3 kg of methamphetamine and 10 packets of ecstasy to deliver to a man named Tuan in Muong Ngoc commune. On the way, Ho met Tong and asked him to drive him to meet Tuan. To ensure safety, Ho hid the drugs before going into Tuan's house.
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| Defendant Xong Ba Tong at the trial. Photo: Nhu Binh |
At Tuan's house, Ho met a stranger, whom Tuan introduced as a customer. They agreed to count the money thoroughly before the transaction. The stranger and Tuan handed over 570 million VND for methamphetamine (190 million VND/kg) and 50 million VND for ecstasy pills (5 million VND per packet). Ho and Tong counted the money, and Ho told Tong to stay at Tuan's house with the stranger to hold the money while he and Tuan went to pick up the drugs.
While Hờ and Tuấn were delivering the goods, they were caught red-handed by the Quế Phong police. Taking advantage of a lapse in security, Tuấn escaped into the forest. Xồng Bá Tồng was arrested shortly afterward.
On April 12th, Xong Xai Ho was found dead in his cell. The investigating authorities have decided to suspend the investigation against him.
The representative of the Provincial People's Procuracy stated that initially, Tong was unaware of the drug trafficking between Ho and Tuan. However, at Tuan's house, Tong overheard and learned about the drug transaction between Xong Xai Ho and Tuan. Tong himself helped Ho count and sort the money that the partner had paid for the drugs. Therefore, there is sufficient basis to conclude that Xong Ba Tong committed the crime of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics" as an accomplice. The representative of the People's Procuracy proposed a sentence of 18-19 years imprisonment for the defendant.
The panel of judges determined that the Provincial People's Procuracy's indictment of Xong Ba Tong for "Illegal trafficking of narcotics" was correct. The questioning and public debate at the trial showed that Xong Ba Tong played a minor role in this case, therefore his sentence was reduced to a level lower than that proposed by the Provincial People's Procuracy. After considering all aspects of the case, the panel of judges sentenced Xong Ba Tong to 8 years in prison.
