Pawning motorbikes to get money for drug trafficking
Having known each other since their drug rehabilitation, after leaving the camp, the two men went into drug trafficking. To have money to buy “goods”, Tuan pawned his motorbike for 20 million VND.
On November 14, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened the first instance trial of 5 defendants including: Tran Van Tuan (born 1994, residing in Do Luong commune), Ngo Duc Phi (born 1991, residing in Tien Dong commune), To Xuan Quynh (born 1971, residing in Tan Phu commune), Vi Manh Hung (born 1993, residing in Tam Quang commune) and Nguyen Quoc Bien (born 1975, residing in Nghia Hanh commune, Nghe An) for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking".
.jpg)
According to the indictment, on the afternoon of April 16, 2024, To Xuan Quynh called Phi to discuss buying 100 grams of drugs for 45 million VND. Quynh transferred 3 million VND to Phi in advance as a deposit to buy the drugs.
After that, Phi contacted Tuan, discussed and agreed to trade drugs together to sell to Quynh for profit.
After reaching an agreement, Tuan called a man and ordered 100 grams of drugs for 33 million VND, paying 20 million VND in advance, and asked to delay the remaining amount.
Because they knew each other before, not long after, Tuan, Bien, and Phi gathered at Phi’s house to use drugs together. Also here, Tuan and Phi agreed to pawn Tuan’s motorbike for 20 million VND to trade drugs.
Tuan then did not go to get the drugs himself but asked Hung to receive the “goods”. After receiving the drugs, Hung handed them over to Tuan. Afterwards, Tuan discussed with Phi and Bien about selling the drugs to Quynh.
At noon on April 17, 2024, when Tran Van Tuan brought drugs to Tan Phu commune, Nghe An, he was discovered and arrested by the police.
Expanding the investigation, on May 14 and 21, 2025, the Investigation Agency arrested Phi and Bien. As for Quynh and Hung, at this time the two subjects were serving sentences in prison for being involved in another drug trafficking case.
At the trial, the defendants all admitted to their crimes. The defendants said they knew each other during their drug rehabilitation. After being released from the camp, the defendants contacted each other to use drugs together. In this crime, to get money for drug trafficking, Tuan said he pawned his motorbike.
The panel of judges determined that in this case, the defendants Tran Van Tuan, Ngo Duc Phi, and To Xuan Quynh had equal roles, directly carrying out the drug trafficking, so each defendant was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Because defendant Quynh is serving another sentence, the total sentence for this defendant is 28 years and 6 months in prison.
Defendant Vi Manh Hung was sentenced to 18 years in prison; combined with the sentence currently being served, the defendant must serve a total sentence of 20 years and 6 months in prison. Meanwhile, defendant Nguyen Quoc Bien was sentenced to 16 years in prison.