Paying a heavy price for falling into drug addiction.

Drug stash found in parents' house

Lu Van Duc (34 years old), residing in Chau Phong commune, Quy Chau district (Nghe An province), is the youngest of four siblings. After getting married, Duc was given a plot of land by his parents to live separately. The small house of Duc and his wife was built on that plot of land.

Despite owning a house, the young father lacked the motivation to work and provide for his family, especially his two young children. Lu Van Duc fell in with bad company and unknowingly became involved with drugs.

Since Duc became addicted to drugs, the family's finances deteriorated. Their marital relationship was also strained due to his addiction and dissolute lifestyle. His work days became less frequent, replaced by a life of idleness and recklessness. After some time, Duc and his wife divorced.

Since his marriage broke down, the man has become increasingly addicted to drugs. Initially, it was just to satisfy his personal needs, but later Duc became involved in the illegal trafficking of narcotics.

On the afternoon of December 3, 2024, Lu Van Duc walked up a hill in Pao village, Quang Phong commune, Que Phong district, to buy drugs to resell for profit. In the middle of the mountains, Duc met a Hmong man and bought one packet of heroin and one packet of methamphetamine for nearly 11 million VND.

After purchasing the drugs, Duc brought them home and divided them into several small packages. He hid a small amount on his bed and took the rest to his parents' house, Mr. Lu Van K. (65 years old).

On the morning of December 4th, when a customer came to inquire about buying drugs, Lu Van Duc sold two ecstasy pills for 100,000 VND. At 7 PM the same day, while Duc was at home, he was inspected by a task force from the Quy Chau District Police, who seized several packets of drugs.

Based on Duc's testimony, authorities searched his parents' house and seized more packages of drugs hidden in the kitchen cupboard. It was only when the police raided the house and discovered the drugs that Mr. and Mrs. K. learned of the incident.

The investigating agency determined that Lu Van Duc was criminally liable for the act of buying and selling more than 41 grams of narcotics. Duc was prosecuted and brought to trial for the crime of illegally trading narcotics.

A belated awakening

Before the witness stand, the defendant admitted to the crime. Duc stated that he was driven by greed and therefore conceived the idea of ​​trafficking drugs. Regarding the money used to buy the drugs, the defendant claimed it was saved up from his time working as a laborer.

The defendant justified his criminal behavior by citing difficult family circumstances and a low level of education. Duc stated that he only studied until the 7th grade before dropping out. Having left school early, he initially stayed home to help his parents, but later went out into the world to make a living. Being irresponsible and lacking self-control, he became involved with drugs and is now paying the price in court. He hopes for a reduced sentence so he can return home to raise his children and care for his parents.

Attending his son's trial, the defendant's father sat silently. Sadness was evident on his face. Like all parents, they hoped their child would grow up to be a good person and have a stable life. But Duc had brought his family sorrow.

Now, he is filled with sorrow and remorse. If only he hadn't trusted his son so much, if only he had stopped him earlier, this heartbreaking situation wouldn't have happened today.

In this case, Mr. K. stated that he was unaware his son was hiding drugs in his house. Therefore, when authorities raided the house and discovered the packages of drugs, he and his wife were very surprised. Although they proved they had no connection to the drugs, they couldn't help but feel saddened that their son had engaged in the illegal trafficking of drugs, violating the law.

Despite being saddened by his son's misguided actions, the father did not reprimand him but instead encouraged him to reform. "Correct your mistakes," he told his son while the court deliberated.

The court ruled that drugs pose a major threat to society as a whole, harming health, degrading the human race and dignity, destroying family happiness, and seriously affecting social order, safety, and national security, therefore requiring strict punishment. After considering all aspects of the case, the court sentenced the defendant, Lu Van Duc, to 15 years in prison for the crime of illegally trading narcotics.

Entering prison gates in their thirties, hopefully, this is a time for the defendant to reflect on themselves and their illegal actions. Because the opportunity to correct their mistakes and rebuild their lives still exists for those who are determined enough to turn over a new leaf and do good.