Drug kingpin sentenced to death.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of February 10th, drug kingpin Tuan "Lay" and his accomplice Tran Quang Anh Dung were sentenced to death by the court for the crime of illegally buying, selling, and transporting narcotics.

After a day of trial, on the afternoon of February 10th, the People's Court of Nghe An province sentenced Phan Dinh Tuan, also known as Phan Anh Tuan or "Tuan Lay" (born in 1971, residing in Vinh City) and his accomplice Tran Quang Anh Dung (born in 1966, residing in Ho Chi Minh City) to death for the crime of illegally buying, selling, and transporting narcotics. Nguyen Huu Song (born in 1969, residing in Vinh City), a link in the transnational drug trafficking ring, received a life sentence.

Crime boss Tuan "Lay" was sentenced to death.

The trial revealed that Phan Đình Tuấn was the ringleader of a drug trafficking network in Vinh City. This network purchased drugs from abroad, transported them into Vietnam, and then distributed them in Ho Chi Minh City.

Expanding the investigation and monitoring Phan Dinh Tuan's movements, at approximately 5 PM on July 13, 2014, Tuan drove a FORTUNRE car, license plate 37A – 00629, to pick up Nguyen Huu Song in Block 5, Quan Bau Ward, Vinh City. Song brought a black wheeled suitcase with him when he got into the car. Tuan then drove the car along National Highway 46 towards Nam Dan and Thanh Chuong districts, turned onto Ho Chi Minh Highway, and continued along National Highway 8A to the Cau Treo border gate in Huong Son district, Ha Tinh province.

Tran Quang Anh Dung, a key link in a drug trafficking ring in Ho Chi Minh City, has been sentenced to death.

When driving about 2 km from the border crossing, Tuan stopped the car by the roadside and flashed the headlights as a signal. From the forest, two men emerged carrying two black plastic bags containing drugs pressed into cakes. Song opened the back door of the car, and the two men put the two bags of drugs into the back seat. Song closed the car door, and Tuan continued driving, turning the car around and heading towards the intersection in Hong Linh town, Ha Tinh province. There, Tuan stopped the car so Song could buy a mobile phone and a new phone number. Tuan gave Song 10 million dong for travel expenses. Tuan took Song's newly purchased phone number, continued driving along National Highway 1A, heading north for about 3 km, then stopped, told Song to get out of the car with his luggage, and Tuan continued driving towards Vinh city.

Nguyen Huu Song, a disciple of Tuan "Lay," received a life sentence.

Afterward, Song took a car and, carrying his suitcase, headed to Ho Chi Minh City. Following Tuan's movements, the Nghe An Provincial Police's Drug Crime Investigation Department coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security's Anti-Drug Crime Department and the Ha Tinh Provincial Border Guard to combat and intercept him. At 0:10 AM on July 15, 2014, in Thuan Bac District, Ninh Thuan Province, investigators stopped a passenger car and apprehended Nguyen Huu Song red-handed with 40 blocks of heroin in a black wheeled suitcase.

Song confessed that the heroin belonged to Phan Dinh Tuan. Tuan had hired Song for $2,000 to transport it to Ho Chi Minh City and deliver it to Tran Quang Anh Dung. Immediately, Phan Dinh Tuan was arrested in Vinh City. A search of his Mazda CX5 revealed two handguns. A search of Tuan's residence on Tran Phu Street, Hong Son Ward, Vinh City, yielded an additional 105 rounds of ammunition, a grenade, and four mobile phones.

Subsequently, on the afternoon of July 15, 2014, at the gas station at the intersection of Bay and Ho Ky Hoa streets in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, the police arrested Tran Quang Anh Dung.

At the police station, Tuan and Song confessed that Tuan had purchased all the drugs from a Laotian man named Co, whose address was unknown, and then went with Song to pick them up. Tuan hired Song to transport them to Ho Chi Minh City for 10 million Vietnamese dong and 2000 USD. Tuan had only given Song 10 million dong. In Ho Chi Minh City, Dung received all the drugs to resell for profit.

Expanding the investigation into the case, the police determined that in June and July 2014, the drug ring led by Tuan "Lay" directly transported 70 blocks of heroin from Laos to Ho Chi Minh City for distribution.

In this case, Phan Dinh Tuan is criminally liable for three offenses of illegally trafficking narcotics, involving 110 blocks of heroin, with a total weight equivalent to 37,840.715 grams. In addition, Tuan is criminally liable for the illegal possession of two military firearms and 102 rounds of military ammunition.

Tran Quang Anh Dung is criminally liable for two offenses of illegally trafficking narcotics on July 7, 2014 and July 15, 2014, involving 80 blocks of heroin, totaling 27,520.52 grams. Nguyen Huu Song is criminally liable for three instances of illegally transporting narcotics, involving 110 blocks of heroin, totaling 37,840.715 grams of heroin.

At the trial, the panel of judges affirmed that the defendants' crimes were exceptionally serious, involving a large quantity of incriminating evidence, and causing numerous dangerous consequences for society. In particular, Phan Đình Tuấn had previously served five prison sentences for various offenses but showed no signs of reform. Trần Quang Anh Dũng was a dangerous drug trafficker. Both needed to be permanently removed from society.

Nguyen Huu Song was a dangerous link in the chain, acting under Tuan's control. At the trial, Song showed a sincere attitude in confessing his guilt, and was granted mitigating circumstances, but he needed to be completely isolated from society and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The fact that the People's Court of Nghe An province brought the case to trial and sentenced Tuan "Lay" and Tran Quang Anh Dung to death, and Nguyen Huu Song to life imprisonment, has received attention and support from the public because these are notorious criminals with dangerous and long-standing criminal activities.

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