Young man sentenced to life imprisonment for transporting drugs by taxi.
(Baonghean.vn) - Citing the need for money to support his two-month-old child, Lo Van Pham (Que Phong) readily agreed to transport four blocks of heroin to Hanoi. While waiting to hire a taxi to deliver the "white powder," the defendant was discovered and caught red-handed by law enforcement.
On January 20, 2021, the People's Court of Nghe An province tried defendant Lo Van Pham (born in 1995), residing in Pha Pat village, Cam Muon commune, Que Phong district, for the crime of "illegally transporting substances".drug"
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| Defendant Lo Van Pham at the trial. Photo: An Quynh. |
Previously, on July 12, 2020, Lo Van Pham rented a car from Pham Anh Dung (residing in Kim Son town, Que Phong district) to take his wife and children to her parents' home in Ky Son.
On July 15, 2020, through social media, Lo Van Pham befriended someone with the account name "Nhat Kiem". During their conversation, the person with the account asked Pham if he wanted to earn some money. Because his wife had just given birth and his family was in financial stra predicament, Pham readily agreed. Pham's job was to receive a bag of "goods" and transport it to Hanoi. After completing the task, Pham would receive 15 million VND as payment.
On July 16, 2020, Pham called Pham Anh Dung to hire him to drive him to a location for a business transaction, as instructed by someone with the account "Nhat Kiem," to receive goods. Upon reaching the Ta Pan bridge area in Tri Le commune, Pham saw a black plastic bag covered with branches by the roadside. Due to their prior agreement, Pham immediately put the bag into his backpack and went home.
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| The suspect, Lo Van Pham, was arrested along with the evidence. Photo: An Binh |
Before going to deliver the goods in Hanoi, Lo Van Pham requested to receive his payment in advance. Both parties agreed to transfer the money.bank accountOnce everything was agreed upon, Pham called Dung to arrange for the car rental, paying him 3 million VND as a fee.
At approximately 1:00 AM on July 17, 2020, while Dung was driving Pham to Chau Binh commune, Quy Chau district, they were discovered and caught red-handed by law enforcement.
Upon examination, 1,396 grams of heroin were seized. Lo Van Pham also admitted his actions to the authorities.
The court also affirmed that the defendant's actions were extremely dangerous to society, and if the transaction had been successful, it would have caused extremely serious consequences. Therefore, an appropriate sentence is necessary to serve as a deterrent to the community.
While the judges were deliberating, with the permission of the police officers guarding the courtroom, Pham burst into tears upon seeing his wife and only son.
After a comprehensive review of the case, considering the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the panel of judges decided to sentence the defendant Lo Van Pham to life imprisonment for the crime of "illegally transporting narcotics".
Regarding Pham Anh Dung, who transported Lo Van Pham, since he was unaware that Pham was carrying drugs, there is no basis for prosecuting Dung criminally. As for the account "Nhat Kiem" that contacted Pham to transport the drugs, since Pham did not know the identity or background of the person, the authorities have no basis to verify and clarify the matter.
