Sister 'drags' younger sister into jail for drug-related offenses.
Driven by greed, Huong plunged into the drug trafficking business. She lured her younger sister into becoming a courier and joining the network.
On September 26th, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance trial for three defendants: Tran Thi Phuong Hoa (born in 1995), residing in Giang Tien town, Phu Luong district (Thai Nguyen); Lo Thi Huong (born in 1975) and Lo Thi Xoan (born in 1978), both residing in Kim Son town, Que Phong district, on charges of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics.Defendants Huong and Xoan are sisters.
According to the indictment, Tran Thi Phuong Hoa met a man named Hai (whose identity and background are unknown) during a trip to Ho Chi Minh City. Around September 2022, Hai contacted Hoa to buy drugs to bring to the South for sale.
Because Hoa knew Huong beforehand, she contacted her and asked her to find and buy the "goods." Later, at her family's farm, Huong bought 1 kg of ketamine from a Hmong man for 300 million VND and resold it to Hoa for 340 million VND.
On July 27, 2023, Hoa called Huong to order 1 kg of ketamine and asked her mother to transfer 340 million VND. After purchasing the drugs, Huong hired her younger sister, Xoan, to deliver the "goods" to Hoa in Vinh City, promising to pay her 20 million VND as a commission.
On the morning of July 31, 2023, Xoan took a bus to Vinh City and successfully delivered the drugs to Hoa. In addition to the 20 million VND her sister paid her for this delivery, Xoan also received an extra 700,000 VND as a tip from the customer.
Hoa put the drugs she bought in a cardboard box with dried fish and sent it by bus to Ho Chi Minh City for Hai. After receiving the "goods," Hai sent Hoa 400 million VND.
On August 6, 2023, Hoa ordered another 1 kg of drugs from Huong. After receiving 340 million VND, Huong bought the drugs and hired her sister to transport them to Vinh City. However, while Xoan was delivering the drugs to Hoa at the Ga intersection in Vinh City, she was arrested by the police along with the evidence: one package of drugs weighing 998.51 grams.
During a search of Hoa's residence, the police seized 0.36 grams.drugMDMA and 0.57 grams of marijuana. Hoa claimed that the drugs were left behind by a friend who came to visit, and she kept them to sell gradually.
The investigating agency determined that Hoa is criminally liable for two instances of drug trafficking involving 1997.02 grams of ketamine, 0.36 grams of MDMA, and 0.57 grams of cannabis. Huong and Xoan are criminally liable for the illegal trafficking of 1997.02 grams of ketamine.
At the trial, all defendants admitted to their crimes. Defendant Hoa rented an apartment in Vinh City to live in and worked as a freelancer. Hoa confessed that she trafficked drugs for profit, earning 60 million VND after each successful sale.
Defendant Huong expressed remorse for dragging her younger sister into prison. All defendants asked the court to consider mitigating circumstances and reduce their sentences.
After a comprehensive review of the case, the panel of judges sentenced Tran Thi Phuong Hoa and Lo Thi Huong each to 20 years in prison, while defendant Lo Thi Xoan received an 18-year prison sentence.