Group of young men sentenced to prison for playing '3-card poker'

(Baonghean.vn) - On October 26, the People's Court of Tan Ky district held a public trial and sentenced two individuals who ran a gambling den to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing narcotics and 7 months in prison for each.

* Gambling case: According to the indictment, on the afternoon of August 2, 2016, at the sand wharf guardhouse of Hai An Trading and Service Co., Ltd., Nghia Dong commune, Tan Ky district, the Tan Ky district police, in coordination with the Nghia Dong commune police, caught five individuals red-handed gambling using the "three-card" game: Que Van Nhan, Tran Ngoc Nam, Tran Van Quyen, Vo Van Dan, Le Ngoc Quy, and Vo Van Luc.

The group involved in gambling forfeited 14,320,000 VND to the state treasury.

Taking advantage of a lapse in security, Quyen and Luc escaped. Authorities seized 2,320,000 VND and one deck of playing cards from the gambling den, and a total of 12,520,000 VND from the suspects. On the afternoon of August 3, 2016, Quyen and Luc voluntarily surrendered to the Tan Ky District Police investigation agency and handed over the remaining 1,800,000 VND they had taken with them when they fled.

The actions of the individuals violated Clause 1, Article 248 of the Penal Code concerning the crime of "Gambling".

Based on the severity of the crimes, the Tan Ky District People's Court sentenced the defendants as follows: Que Xuan Nhan to 3 months imprisonment, Tran Xuan Quyen to 4 months imprisonment, Tran Ngoc Nam to 12 months of non-custodial correctional training; the remaining three defendants were fined a total of 23 million VND. 14,320,000 VND was confiscated and deposited into the state treasury.

* Illegally possessing narcotics: According to the indictment, on June 22, 2016, the defendant Nguyen Van Hoa (born in 1988), residing in Bich Thai 2 hamlet, Nghia Thai commune, Tan Ky district, went to an area near a gas station in Dien Lam commune, Dien Chau district, where he met a woman (whose identity is unknown). Hoa bought one packet of heroin from this woman for 200,000 VND. On his way home, in Nghia Loc commune, Nghia Dan district, Hoa took out a small amount of heroin to use, and carefully concealed the rest on his person.

Defendant Nguyen Van Hoa was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Upon arriving at Hamlet 4B, Nghia Dong Commune, Tan Ky District, Hoa was stopped by Tan Ky District Police for a public administrative check. Out of fear, Hoa took out a package of heroin and threw it into the grass by the roadside, where it was discovered, he was caught red-handed, and the evidence was sealed.

According to the forensic examination report No. 807/KL-PC54 (MT) dated June 23, 2016, from the Criminal Technical Department of the Nghe An Provincial Police, the white powder seized from Nguyen Van Hoa and submitted for examination was identified as heroin weighing 0.2 grams.

In indictment No. 34/KSĐT-MT dated September 30, 2016, the People's Procuracy of Tan Ky District prosecuted Nguyen Van Hoa before the People's Court of Tan Ky District for trial on the charge of "illegally possessing narcotic substances" as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 194 of the Penal Code.

The People's Procuracy of Tan Ky District maintained its decision to prosecute and requested the Trial Panel to apply Clause 1, Article 194 of the Criminal Code, sentencing Nguyen Van Hoa to 18 months of imprisonment.

Phuong Hao