Drug addict sentenced to prison for going into the forest to buy drugs.
Having been a long-time drug addict, Ha Van Duong spent a large sum of money buying drugs. After walking into the forest to find and buy drugs, the young man was arrested on his way back.
On April 2nd, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened the first-instance trial of defendant Ha Van Duong (born in 1995), residing in Chau Hoan commune, Quy Chau district (Nghe An province), on the charge of "illegally possessing narcotics".
According to the indictment, at approximately 4 PM on November 21, 2024, Ha Van Duong hitched a ride on someone's motorbike to Quang Phong commune, Que Phong district, to buy drugs for personal use. The young man walked along a trail into the forest and met an unidentified man.
It was late at night when Duong asked the person, "Do you have drugs for sale?" and they replied, "Yes." Duong then offered to buy 14 million dong worth of drugs. They agreed on a deal: 5 packets of methamphetamine (priced at 10 million dong) and 4 million dong for heroin.
The following afternoon, Duong walked from the forest area down to the road to catch a ride home. However, when he reached the section of road in Pao village, Quang Phong commune, he was spotted and caught red-handed by the Que Phong District Police.
At this point, Duong voluntarily took out the drugs from his person and handed them over to the police. The investigating agency determined that Ha Van Duong must bear criminal responsibility for the act of possessing more than 100 grams of drugs.
At the trial, the defendant admitted to the crime. The defendant stated that due to addiction, he bought drugs for personal use even though he knew it was wrong.
Previously, Ha Van Duong had been sentenced to two years in prison for "illegally trading in narcotics".
The panel of judges determined that the defendant's actions were dangerous to society and violated the law. After a comprehensive review of the case, the court sentenced defendant Ha Van Duong to 16 years in prison for the crime of "Illegal possession of narcotics".
Regarding the drug dealer, since the defendant's identity and background are unknown, the investigating agency has not yet had grounds to prosecute him.
