The justification of the 'dynamic duo' who spent their youth in prison.

The "deal" of buying and selling ecstasy at the pig farm.

Tran Phuc Khoi (born in 1979) and Nguyen Ngoc Tuan (born in 1983) both reside in Vinh City and share a common criminal record. Khoi was tried three times for the same crime: illegal possession of narcotics. In 2002, 2004, and 2010, he received sentences of 24 months, 27 months, and 5 years in prison, respectively.

Not to be outdone, Khoi's younger brother, Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, who is four years his junior, has also appeared in court five times. Tuan began his imprisonment in 2002, when he was only 23 years old. That time, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison for theft. Three years later, for the same crime, he was sentenced to 18 months. Also in 2005, Tuan received another 30-month sentence for theft.

After overcoming his habit of pickpocketing, Tuan sought pleasure elsewhere. He became involved in drug trafficking and was arrested by the police. Specifically, in 2012, Nguyen Ngoc Tuan was sentenced to 36 months in prison for illegally possessing narcotics. Four years later, Tuan was sentenced again to 25 months for the same crime.

Defendant Nguyen Ngoc Tuan appeared in court for the sixth time. Photo: Tran Vu

Having spent their youth in and out of prison, Khoi and Tuan never had the chance to start their own families like their peers. In recent years, seeing that Tuan and Khoi weren't involved in any further crimes, their relatives were secretly relieved, believing their children had reformed and were now working hard. However, that joy was short-lived, as the duo were arrested again. This time, they were found guilty of crimes related to ecstasy.

On November 6, 2020, Khoi received a phone call from a customer ordering ecstasy pills. Having been imprisoned three times, Khoi was not discouraged; instead, he became even more determined to participate in this drug deal. Khoi contacted Tuan, and they discussed finding and purchasing drugs to sell to the customer. They agreed that Tuan would source the drugs, while Khoi would contact the customer.

Thanks to a prior acquaintance, Tuan easily purchased 500 ecstasy pills for 75 million VND. Lacking the funds, Tuan requested a deferral, which the seller agreed to. Subsequently, Tuan and Khoi quoted the buyer 90 million VND for the 500 pills. After several negotiations, the two parties agreed on the price and arranged a time and place for the transaction.

As arranged, on the evening of November 9, 2020, Khoi and Tuan, carrying drugs, rode their motorbike to Xuan An town, Nghi Xuan district (Ha Tinh province). They agreed that Khoi would stay behind to deliver the drugs to the customer, while Tuan would go to Ben Thuy bridge on the Vinh City side to wait for the money from the sale.

Khoi brought the drugs to a pig farm in Xuan An town to wait for customers to pick up the goods. Inside the house at the pig farm, while Khoi was opening the package of drugs to examine it, a task force from the Nghe An Provincial Police raided the premises. At that moment, Khoi threw the package of drugs away, but the task force discovered it. The seized evidence included over 218 grams of drugs.

At the same time, Tuan was standing at the head of Ben Thuy Bridge waiting to receive money from selling drugs, but he became worried because his accomplices didn't contact him. When he received news that Khoi had been arrested, Tuan went into hiding and surrendered to the police on November 10, 2020.

The defense of the man on his sixth court appearance.

The two defendants at the trial. Photo: Tran Vu

This was Tuan's sixth time standing before the court, so he seemed quite familiar with the courtroom. The defendant recounted the entire process of his crime in detail. Tuan confessed that he bought ecstasy pills on credit to sell to customers because of greed. Khoi was in charge of connecting with customers to buy the drugs. They calculated that if they sold 500 ecstasy pills, they would split the 15 million dong between them.

“What is your occupation?” a juror asked. Tuan replied, “I’m a freelancer.” “You’ve been imprisoned five times before, why did you re-offend?” Tuan remained silent. The juror pressed him further, and he finally mumbled, “Because of poverty and hardship.” The juror reprimanded him for his answer, noting that he was nearly 40 years old, had been tried five times, yet still disregarded the law and continued to commit crimes.

When questioned, the defendant Khoi blamed his financial difficulties and family problems for his involvement in drug trafficking. “You are over 40, and have been imprisoned many times, but you didn't stop; you continued to violate the law. What do you think about this?” In response to the judge's question, Khoi recounted his hardships and explained that it was due to “momentary impulsiveness.”

The two defendants' testimonies were met with a stern warning from the judge: "Know when to stop so you can repay your loved ones and rebuild your lives. Everyone only lives once; don't confine yourselves within the four walls of a prison cell..." Hearing these words of advice, both bowed their heads in silence. Many of the defendants' relatives who attended the trial also bowed their heads in silence.

The panel of judges determined that the defendants' criminal acts were dangerous to society. Despite having been tried multiple times before, the defendants remained involved in drug trafficking. Considering all aspects of the case, the panel of judges sentenced Tran Phuc Khoi and Nguyen Ngoc Tuan each to 20 years in prison for the crime of illegally trading narcotics.

Entering prison for the fourth and sixth time with 20-year sentences made the road back home seem distant for both defendants... This is also the fate of those who disregard the law and live and die for drugs.