Holding 2.5 billion in heroin trafficking, death row inmate wishes to eat a bowl of dog meat before execution

Billion-dollar drug trafficking deal of the "perfect pair"

Date of trialtrialTwo defendants Tran Van Minh (born in 1971) and Hoang Van The (born in 1984), both residing in Yen The district (Bac Giang province) for the crime of illegal drug trafficking, a group of relatives of the two defendants took a bus from Bac Giang to Nghe An. As soon as they saw the two defendants being escorted to court, the group of relatives burst into tears. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since the day of their arrest, this was the rare time they had seen their husband and father.

In court, the two defendants confessed their crimes. Minh said that around 2019, someone accidentally introduced him to a drug dealer in Que Phong (Nghe An). Therefore, in mid-2020, Minh and The discussed going to Nghe An to sell drugs. The two agreed that The would pay the money, while Minh would buy the drugs and be responsible for finding a buyer.

Defendant at trial. Photo: Tran Vu

Minh then contacted a drug dealer and took a bus to Nghe An, arrived at Chau Thon intersection, Que Phong district, handed over money to a man named “Lun” and received 19 heroin bars. That same evening, Minh carried a backpack full of drugs to get on a bus to Bac Giang, but was discovered by Nghe An police, caught red-handed with more than 6.6 kg of drugs.

Nearly three months after Minh was arrested, Hoang Van The turned himself in to the police and confessed to buying heroin with Minh. When asked about turning himself in to the police, The told the court that he “wanted to receive leniency from the law”. He also admitted that he had discussed with Minh to buy a quantity of drugs to sell for profit. However, the “billion-dollar deal” between the two defendants was discovered by the police.

During the trial, the two defendants expressed their sincere confessions and repented of their crimes. Meanwhile, The presented some circumstances to request a reduction in the sentence such as surrendering and being sincere.declare, had a report to the police to arrest a drug trafficker, Minh just kept silent. This defendant stated in court: "The defendant does not want to tell the story of his parents to get a lighter sentence. The defendant feels ashamed."

When the jury allowed him to have the last word before the court deliberated, Minh did not ask for anything for himself but simply said, "Let me apologize to my parents." After saying that, Minh raised his hands to wipe his face and sat down.

Death row inmate's wish

As the jury entered the deliberation room, the relatives sitting below burst into tears. Minh turned around, his face calm as he encouraged and instructed his relatives. Then Minh asked about his relatives in the countryside. The son cried and boasted that he was about to become a grandfather, and said, "When your grandchild is born, dad, please name him." Seeing his son covering his face and crying, Minh immediately advised him, "Be strong, don't cry."

Relatives of the two defendants grieved as the judge announced the verdict. Photo: Tran Vu

Minh then told his relatives to send him a warm coat because he had previously given a warm coat to a fellow prisoner. When his son asked him what he needed to send to the prison, Minh immediately said: "Right now, I just crave a bowl of dog meat. I just wish I could eat a bowl of dog meat before I go to serve my sentence." Hearing his father say that, his son sat below, covering his face and sobbing.

The trial panel determined that in this case, the amount of drugs that the two defendants bought and sold was exceptionally large, the crime was exceptionally serious, and needed to be permanently eliminated from society to ensure the strictness of the law as well as to have a general deterrent and preventive effect. Therefore, the court sentenced the two defendants Tran Van Minh and Hoang Van The to the highest sentence of death.

It seemed that the two defendants had already determined the sentence they would receive, so they appeared quite calm. Both turned around, raised their handcuffed hands and waved goodbye to the sobbing of their relatives...