Sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug dealer who still denies crime

On March 19, 2021, Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial of two defendants Cao Tien Thuan (born 1968) and Tran Anh Lap (born 1986), both residing in Tan Ky district, for the crime ofIllegal drug trafficking.

The case file shows that on the afternoon of November 7, 2020, Lap called Thuan to inform him that someone had ordered 30 packages of pink pills. Because the “goods” were not yet available, Thuan told Lap to wait a few more days.

On the afternoon of July 12, 2020, Thuan hired a taxi to take him to Tri Le commune, Que Phong district to buy 11 packages of heroin from a Mong man for 22 million VND. Then, Thuan gave Lap 10 packages of drugs, said he would sell them for 40 million VND, and promised to pay him 5 to 10 million VND.

At 4:00 p.m. on July 13, 2020, Lap was holding 10 packages of drugs (total weight 192.4 grams) to deliver to a customer when he was arrested by Quy Hop District Police.

On the same day, the police investigation agency issued an order to detain Cao Tien Thuan in an emergency.

The two defendants Thuan and Lap. Photo: Tran Vu

During the public interrogation at the trial, while defendant Lap confessed and admitted to drug trafficking, defendant Thuan did not admit. Defendant Thuan said that he was forced to confess during the investigation.

Therefore, the court released a video with audio of the testimony of defendant Thuan. The video shows that the defendant confessed to drug trafficking.

The panel also announced the defendant's self-declaration and transcript of his testimony.

In his final statement, defendant Lap expressed remorse and asked for a lighter sentence. Defendant Thuan did not plead guilty and asked the court to try the right person, the right crime, and the right law.

The panel of judges determined that although defendant Thuan did not admit his crime, the investigation, questioning, public debate at the trial as well as other evidence examined had sufficient grounds to conclude that the Procuracy's prosecution of defendant Thuan for trafficking 192.4 grams of drugs was the right person and the right crime.

Considering the role, position, aggravating and mitigating circumstances of each defendant in the case, the panel sentenced Cao Tien Thuan to 20 years in prison and defendant Tran Anh Lap to 19 years in prison for the crime of illegal drug trafficking.