Sentence increased from 20 years to life for drug trafficking couple

On October 12, in Nghe An, the Hanoi High People's Court held an appeal trial, accepted the appeal of the Procuracy, and increased the sentence for the two defendants Va Ga Vu (born 1980) and Xong Nhia Denh (born 1974), both residing in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, from 20 years to life in prison for the crime ofIllegal drug trafficking.

According to the case file, around October 2018, Va Ga Vu was approached by someone who ordered drugs. Vu discussed with Denh to find drugs to sell to customers. Both agreed that the profits would be split in half.

The two defendants Vu and Denh had their sentences increased to life imprisonment. Photo: Tran Vu

On the afternoon of October 25, 2018, Denh went to work in the fields and met a Laotian. Through conversation, he learned that this person had drugs, so Denh placed a debt order to buy 34 packages of pink phien and 1 kg of crystal meth. The Laotian agreed.

The next morning, Denh called Vu to inform him that the “goods” were available. Immediately after, Vu called the buyer to inform him, and set up a time and place for delivery.

After that, Denh and Vu went to get the drugs and went to a motel in Chau Tien commune, Quy Chau district to deliver them to the customer. While the two parties were making the transaction, they were discovered and caught red-handed by Hanh Dich Border Guard Station and the authorities.

At the scene, detectives seized many packages of drugs with a total weight of more than 1.6 kg. Taking advantage of the loophole, the customer who bought the drugs fled.

The court of first instance sentenced Va Ga Vu and Xong Nhia Denh each to 20 years in prison for illegal drug trafficking.

After the first instance trial, the two defendants did not appeal. However, the Procuracy appealed and proposed to increase the sentence for the two defendants to life imprisonment.

At the appeal court, the two defendants presented their difficult circumstances and were ethnic minorities, asking the court not to increase their sentences.

The representative of the Procuracy said that the two defendants had bought and sold a large amount of drugs. The first instance verdict sentencing the two defendants to 20 years was not commensurate with the nature and criminal acts of the defendants, and was not enough of a deterrent.

After the trial, the appellate court accepted the appeal and revised the first instance judgment against the two defendants. Sentenced the two defendants Va Ga Vu and Xong Nhia Denh to life in prison./.