The female defendant collapsed when the court pronounced the death sentence.
Hoa accepted a job offered 15 million VND to transport two packages of heroin from a stranger. On the day of her trial, the woman was sentenced to death.
On the morning of June 12th, among the young people attending the Hanoi People's Court hearing, there was a frail-looking elderly woman, around 80 years old, standing out among them. They were all anxiously awaiting the special vehicle that would transport the defendant to the court.
At 8:10 AM, a middle-aged woman, handcuffed, was escorted out of the vehicle by police. She was Tran Thi Ngoc Hoa (47 years old, residing in Hai Ba Trung district) – charged with illegally transporting narcotics.
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| Defendant Tran Thi Ngoc Hoa. Photo:Hoang Lam |
According to the indictment of the People's Procuratorate of the same level, on the afternoon of December 17, 2017, Hoa was selling drinks at the 8/3 market when a stranger approached her and hired her to transport two packages of heroin to Luong Yen bus station (Hai Ba Trung district). If the delivery was successful, Hoa would be paid 15 million VND.
The woman agreed and provided her phone number for contact. Afterward, Hoa received the package containing the contraband and took it home to hide it.
Early in the morning of December 18th, Hoa carefully wrapped two packages of drugs, hung them on her motorbike, and drove off to deliver them. At the Dam Trau border gate (Hai Ba Trung district), more than 200 meters from the delivery point, Hoa was caught red-handed by the police.
At the police station, Hoa confessed to the crime. The police traced the delivery person based on Hoa's testimony, but without success.
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| The woman collapsed and burst into tears after receiving the death sentence. Photo:Hoang Lam |
In her testimony to the court, Hoa stated that she knew the goods she was hired to transport were drugs. However, driven by greed, she quickly agreed to carry out the operation.
In her final statement, Hoa teared up and expressed remorse. The defendant hoped the court would impose a light sentence.
During the sentencing phase, the prosecutor's representative noted that Hoa committed a drug-related crime while already having a prior conviction for disturbing public order. Hoa's actions constituted a repeat offense, an aggravating circumstance. However, during the investigation, the defendant confessed honestly and showed remorse. Therefore, the prosecutor's office recommended a life sentence for Tran Thi Ngoc Hoa.
After nearly an hour of deliberation, the panel of judges found the defendant's act of transporting drugs for hire to be serious. Despite not having received payment, Hoa completed the task of receiving the drugs and bringing them home to hide them while awaiting a transaction.
Based on that, the panel of judges rejected the prosecutor's request and sentenced Hoa to death. Upon hearing the verdict, the 47-year-old defendant collapsed. Police officers and relatives had to comfort and care for her on the spot before Hoa returned to the special vehicle.