Woman sentenced to 20 years in prison for transporting nearly 7.5 kg of opium
(Baonghean.vn) - On February 1, the Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial of Lu Thi Huong (born in 1980, residing in Chau Kim commune, Que Phong) for the crime of Illegally transporting drugs.
According to records, around August 2003, Lu Thi Huong was hired by two Laotians to transport 7.5 kg of opium from Que Phong to Vinh City for a salary of 3.6 million VND. Huong invited Vi Thi Lan (born in 1982, residing in Tien Phong commune, Que Phong) to participate, promising to pay Lan 600,000 VND.
On the morning of August 29, 2003, Lan and Huong took a bus from Que Phong to Vinh City. Lan left her bag containing drugs in the front row, while the two sat below, in separate seats to avoid detection by the authorities.
At around 12:20 p.m. the same day, when the car arrived in the center of Vinh City, Lan got off the bag containing the drugs and was discovered and arrested by the police. Lu Thi Huong quickly fled, then bought a bus ticket to the South.
In 2004, Vi Thi Lan was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Provincial People's Court, and Huong was wanted nationwide by the police investigation agency. On October 20, 2023, Lu Thi Huong was arrested by Vinh City Police while living in Binh Duong.
During her time on the run, Huong married a man from Nghe An and had two children.
At the trial, Lu Thi Huong admitted to the crime as charged in the indictment, expressed remorse and hoped for leniency from the law.
Considering the case comprehensively, the People's Court sentenced Lu Thi Huong to 20 years in prison.
