From drugs to guns, the mother was devastated on the day her son went to court.

Despite being under drug rehabilitation, he still went online to buy guns and ammunition.

Duong Van Du (28 years old), residing in Nghi Thuy ward, Vinh City (Nghe An province), is the third child in a family of four siblings. Having dropped out of school early and leading a reckless lifestyle, Du quickly became involved with drugs. At just 19 years old, Du was fined by the authorities for illegally using narcotics.

Since becoming addicted to drugs, this young man lived an even more reckless life. He also didn't hesitate to hang out with his friends outside of work, participating in public disturbances. Therefore, at the end of 2016, Duong Van Du was sentenced by the court to 16 months of suspended imprisonment, with a probation period of 32 months, for the crime of disturbing public order.

Notably, while on probation, the young man was again fined for illegally possessing narcotics. Despite multiple fines for drug-related offenses, Du continued his bad habits. In 2019, Du was once again fined for illegally using narcotics.

From being an addict, he became involved in the trafficking of that prohibited substance. In August 2020, Duong Van Du was sentenced by the People's Court of Cua Lo town to 2 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of illegally trading narcotics.

Having lived through prison life, Du did not turn over a new leaf after his release. Instead, he repeated his past mistakes. Therefore, on March 25, 2024, Du was fined for the illegal use of narcotics. Three days later, the authorities placed him under a one-year period of supervision for illegal drug use.

While under government supervision, Duong Van Du ordered a revolver and five bullets online from an unknown person for 2 million dong. After receiving the gun and bullets, Du hid them in his house.

On the morning of January 22, 2025, the task force of Nghi Thuy Ward Police, Vinh City, conducted an inspection and worked with Du regarding his drug rehabilitation situation. During the process, Du voluntarily surrendered the gun and ammunition to the police, acknowledging that his actions were wrong. For this crime, Du was prosecuted by the authorities for the crime of illegally possessing military weapons.

At the recent trial, the defendant testified that he bought the gun and ammunition for self-defense, even though he knew it was illegal. When questioned by the judges about whether he had any conflicts with anyone that led him to buy the gun for self-defense, the defendant replied, "No, but I just bought it to keep."

The defendant admitted that he had hidden the gun in his house for a few months after purchasing it. During that time, he had not shown the weapon to anyone. The defendant stated that he was fully aware that his actions were wrong and asked the court to consider mitigating circumstances.

A mother's tears on the day her son goes to court.

At the trial, the defendant stated that he had been addicted to drugs since around 2015. Since then, he has been repeatedly fined and imprisoned for drug-related offenses. He has also attempted drug rehabilitation several times but without success. Because of his drug addiction, even though he is nearly 30 years old, he has not had a stable job. The money he earns from odd jobs is mainly used for his own needs and he has not been able to help his mother or family much.

"The defendant intended to seek opportunities to work abroad after completing his drug rehabilitation program. He wanted to go to change his life and himself," Du stated in court. However, that plan was thwarted by his own illegal possession of military weapons.

The defendant expressed remorse for his repeated mistakes. These actions not only resulted in a prison sentence for the defendant but also caused distress to his family.

Listening to her son's testimony in court, the mother, born in 1967, could only remain silent. Her husband passed away nearly a decade ago, and since then she has raised her children alone. However, the fact that her third son became involved with drugs and spiraled into wrongdoing has deeply saddened her. She must have repeatedly advised him to break free from drugs and start a new life, at least to support himself. Yet, all she received over the years was witnessing him repeatedly receiving administrative penalties and going to prison.

For nearly a decade, her son's drug addiction and a series of mistakes have caused her immense sorrow. Now, with him imprisoned again, she feels helpless. During the brief moments she had to see him while the court deliberated, she poured out her heart, offering words of encouragement. Who knows if her words of encouragement and support will help her son, who has been addicted to drugs for so many years, to stop…

Regarding this offense, the court determined that the defendant's actions were dangerous to society, directly violating social order and safety, infringing on state regulations regarding the production and management of military weapons, threatening political security and social order, and negatively impacting and harming social life in many aspects, thus requiring strict punishment. However, mitigating circumstances such as self-confession and the presence of family members with revolutionary contributions should also be considered.

After a comprehensive review of the case, the panel of judges sentenced Vuong Van Du to 24 months in prison for illegally possessing military weapons.

During the months and years of serving his sentence, will Du reflect on his actions and resolve to "rebuild his life" as he has promised so many times? Only the defendant himself can answer that question through his actions and concrete deeds.