Nghe An taxi driver sentenced for delivering 'basket of candy' to customer
(Baonghean.vn) - Although he knew clearly that the “candy basket” contained drugs, Tuan still agreed to deliver it to the customer. When Tuan just stepped out of the hotel with the bag of “goods” in hand, he was arrested by the police.
On the morning of July 26, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial of defendant Nguyen Huu Tuan (born 1977), residing in Thanh Duong commune, Thanh Chuong district, for the crimes of Illegally transporting and storing narcotics.
 |
| Defendant Nguyen Huu Tuan. Photo: Tran Vu |
According to the investigation agency's documents, in early 2019, through a subject, Tuan got to know a woman named Tu in Vinh City. On January 25, Tu called Tuan to discuss hiring her to transport drugs from Vinh City to Ha Tinh. Tuan said "I'm busy today and can't go", then Tu suggested "do you use drugs? Come to the Shanghai Hotel and I'll give you some to use." Tuan immediately drove his car to the hotel to meet Tu to get 5 pink pills.
On January 26, Tu called Tuan to hire a car to take him from Vinh City to Ha Tinh for 2 million VND. Tuan agreed, so he went to the hotel as scheduled, went to the reception desk to get a "basket of candy" to take to Ha Tinh. When Tuan went out to the hotel lobby, he was arrested by the Vinh City Police Drug Crime Investigation Task Force.
Searching Tuan, the police also seized 5 more Methamphetamine pills weighing 0.5 grams.
In court, defendant Tuan admitted that he knew the “candy basket” was drugs but still agreed to deliver the goods. Tuan said that he earned nearly 1 million VND per day as a taxi driver. Therefore, taking a woman named Tu from Vinh City to Ha Tinh to receive 2 million VND was a large sum of money, so he agreed.
It is known that in 2004, Tuan was sentenced by the People's Court of Hung Nguyen district to 18 months in prison, suspended, for theft of property. The defendant himself was a drug addict but has since quit.
Defendant Tuan had mitigating circumstances such as his honest confession and his family having contributed to the revolution. Considering the case in its entirety, the panel sentenced Nguyen Huu Tuan to 20 years in prison for illegal transportation of narcotics and 1 year in prison for illegal possession of narcotics. The defendant was ordered to receive a total sentence of 21 years in prison.
