Young mother's slip stuck in white death

(Baonghean.vn) - Having to raise a small child alone and facing many hardships, the girl could not resist the temptation of money so she bought synthetic drugs to sell for profit. In return for that rash action, she received a 10-year prison sentence.

The young mother who is both blameworthy and pitiful is Le Thi Thu Phuong (born in 1989), residing in Le Mao ward, Vinh city. According to the investigation results of Vinh city police, on December 10, 2016, Phuong went to a bar (address unknown) in Ho Chi Minh city, met and got acquainted with a man named Vu and asked to buy ecstasy.

After the man agreed, Phuong gave 70 million VND, the amount of money Phuong had saved up to study nail art, to Vu to buy ecstasy to bring back to Vinh to sell for profit.

Defendant Le Thi Thu Phuong. Photo: Ha Thu

With this money, Phuong bought 524 pink ecstasy pills, brought them to his home on Hong Bang Street, Le Mao Ward (Vinh City), and hid them in the attic.

At around 5:30 p.m. on December 15, 2016, while eating on Dinh Cong Trang Street, Phuong received a phone call from a strange man asking to buy 50 ecstasy pills. After negotiating a price of 300,000 VND/pill and reaching an agreement, Phuong returned home and brought 48 pills to the front of the Thuong Hai Hotel in Hung Binh Ward to deliver to the customer, but was discovered and arrested by the authorities.

During an emergency search of Phuong’s residence, the police seized 5 white plastic bags containing 475 synthetic drug pills. The results of the examination showed that the weight of the seized evidence was 160.405 grams.

Initially, Le Thi Thu Phuong was prosecuted by the Vinh City Police Department for "Illegal possession of narcotics", however, after realizing that there was sufficient basis to prosecute the subject for the crime of "Illegal trading of narcotics", the investigation agency changed the charge.

Le Thi Thu Phuong is the youngest of four children in Nghi Phong commune, Nghi Loc district. After finishing 12th grade, Phuong stayed home and worked as a freelancer. A turning point in her life came when her parents could no longer live together and went their separate ways.

In 2011, Phuong got married to an older man, nearly 30 years older than Phuong, who is currently working and living in Germany. In 2012, her daughter was born, and happiness seemed to be more peaceful, but her husband was away for months, leaving Phuong alone. Even before the first instance trial, when she was given the last word before the verdict, this young woman said that she was a single mother, and because she had no job and financial difficulties, she got involved in drugs.

Recently, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a mobile first-instance trial of defendant Le Thi Thu Phuong at Prison No. 3 (Tan Ky) for the act of "Illegal trading of narcotics". Considering that the defendant committed the crime for the first time, was remorseful, sincere, and especially during her detention, Phuong twice made meritorious contributions by advising a cellmate to give up the idea of ​​committing suicide, and reporting the crime to the investigation agency to clarify another case of fraud and appropriation of property, her sentence should be reduced.

Therefore, Phuong's 10-year prison sentence for illegal drug trafficking is considered light, but it is also a valuable lesson for this young mother to realize the true value of money./.

Ha Thu