Male student selling drugs gets 15 months in prison

(Baonghean.vn) - Although the substance Quan brought did not contain any drugs, this student was aware that it was a drug, so he was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

On December 25, 2017, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a criminal trial, an appeal trial for defendant Tran Dinh Quan (20 years old, a student in Vinh city, residing in Tuong Son commune, Anh Son district) for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking".

According to the indictment of the People's Procuracy of Nghe An province, at about 12:15 on September 26, 2016, in the area in front of Muong Thanh hotel (Phan Boi Chau street, Vinh city), Quan Bau ward police (Vinh city) caught Quan red-handed illegally selling to Le Van Dang a white potylene package containing a mixture of brown dried flowers and leaves, which Quan was aware was a drug (weighing 0.160 grams) for 500,000 VND.

Tran Dinh Quan in court. Photo: Khanh An

The Criminal Techniques Department, Nghe An Provincial Police, examined and concluded: The samples of flowers, leaves, and brown dried plants confiscated from Dang and Quan sent for examination did not have enough basis to conclude whether they were drugs or not.

The Institute of Criminal Science, General Department of Police (Ministry of Public Security) also conducted an examination and concluded: No narcotic substances were found in the sample sent for examination. The sample sent for examination contained the substance AMB-FUBINA CA, a type of synthetic cannabis (with similar effects to the active ingredient Delta 9- THC found in cannabis), which is currently not on the list of narcotics issued by the Vietnamese Government.

On July 10, 2017, the People’s Court of Nghe An Province held a first-instance trial and sentenced Quan to 15 months in prison for illegal drug trafficking. Quan then appealed to the first-instance court, asking for a reduced sentence.

At the appeal hearing on the morning of December 25, Quan changed from appealing for a reduced sentence to appealing for injustice. The representative of the Nghe An Provincial People's Procuracy, who held the right to prosecute at the hearing, requested the panel of judges to uphold the first instance verdict against defendant Quan.

The defense attorney for defendant Quan requested the appellate panel to annul the first instance judgment and declare Quan innocent.

At the end of the trial, the appellate panel rejected the defendant Quan's appeal and upheld the sentence of 15 months in prison for illegal drug trafficking.

Khanh An