Driver hides drugs in steering wheel gets prison sentence

According to the indictment, at around 6:30 p.m. on July 18, 2018, Son drove a 16-seat passenger car with license plate 61A 039.26 to transport passengers to Km 0, Block 2, Tan Ky town. On the car, a male passenger took out a package of heroin and asked Son if he used heroin, to which Son agreed. Son wrapped the remaining heroin in a piece of white paper and hid it in the steering wheel cover of the car. Son drove the car to the Tan Ky District Bus Station area, where the young man got out of the car.

Defendant Nguyen Trong Son in court. Photo: Phuong Hao

At around 9:30 p.m. on July 19, 2018, Son drove his car home in Nghia Phuc commune, Tan Ky district. When he arrived in front of Truong Son hotel in block 8, Tan Ky town, Tan Ky district, he met a man whom Son knew before but did not know his name and address.

After talking, this man gave Son 800,000 VND to buy drugs to use together, and Son agreed. After buying the drugs, Son hid the package of drugs in the steering wheel cover of his car and drove to the Truong Son hotel area. When he arrived at Block 2, Tan Ky town, Tan Ky district, the Tan Ky district police task force signaled to stop the car for inspection.

During the inspection, the Working Group discovered two small packages suspected to be heroin and synthetic drugs in the car's steering wheel cover, so the Working Group of Tan Ky District Police made a record of the arrest and sealed the evidence.

The forensic conclusion No. 956/KL-PC54 (MT) dated July 21, 2018 of the Criminal Techniques Department of Nghe An Provincial Police concluded: The two small packages seized from Son were both drugs with a total weight of 0.17 grams.

At the end of the trial, the jury sentenced Nguyen Trong Son to 14 months in prison.