Just released from prison and received a heavy sentence for 1 million 'breath money'

On September 15, Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial of defendant Nguyen Dinh Tri (born 1974), residing in Nam Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, for the crime of "Illegally transporting narcotics".

Defendant Nguyen Dinh Tri was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Photo: Tran Vu

This is the second time defendant Tri has appeared in court. At the end of November 2021, Nguyen Dinh Tri completed his 20-year prison sentence for illegal drug trafficking. Less than 5 months later, Tri reoffended.

According to case records, at around 6:00 p.m. on April 16, 2022, Tri was riding a motorbike on a village road when he met a man (unknown background and specific address) sitting on a motorbike.

This person waved to Tri and said: "Take the bag and go downstairs to get the million dong?". Tri agreed and followed that person for about 500m.

Then, the man gave Tri a bag containing a raincoat and said: “There are drugs inside. Bring it to Lam Thanh intersection (Nam Thanh commune) and someone will be waiting to receive it and give him 1 million VND.” Tri took the bag containing the drugs to deliver them and was arrested by the police along with evidence of more than 351 grams of drugs.

At the trial, the defendant confessed and admitted to his crime. The defendant said that because he had just been released from prison, did not have a stable job, and was in difficult circumstances, he "had no choice but to transport drugs."

The defendant clasped his hands to show remorse and asked the court for another chance to start his life over.

Committing a crime with the aggravating circumstance of dangerous recidivism, defendant Nguyen Dinh Tri was sentenced by the court to 20 years in prison for the crime of illegal transportation of drugs.