Appeals trial in the case of illegal trafficking of 255 blocks of heroin.

(Baonghean.vn) - On July 31, the Supreme People's Court (holding a mobile trial at the Cua Lo Town People's Court) heard the appeal of six defendants in the case of Vu Duc Manh (born in 1964, residing in Vi Xuyen Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province) and his accomplices for the crime of illegally trading narcotics.

According to the conclusion of the first-instance judgment, between April and July 2012, the illegal drug trafficking ring from Laos to Vietnam, led by Nguyen Cong Hai (born in 1959, residing in Minh Hop commune, Quy Hop district), successfully carried out 10 transactions involving a total of 255 blocks of heroin.

The defendants at the trial

In this case, Vu Duc Manh illegally traded 155 blocks of heroin (weighing 53,276 grams) on 9 separate occasions; Truong Thi Hue (born in 1975, residing in Hong Son Ward, Vinh City) participated on 9 occasions with 150 blocks of heroin (weighing 51,750 grams); Nong Thi Han (born in 1976, residing in Dac Dung Commune, Dac Song District, Dak Nong Province) participated on 6 occasions with 85 blocks of heroin (weighing 29,325 grams); and Nguyen Hoai Thu (born in 1980, residing in Tien Phong Commune, Que Phong District) with 70 blocks of heroin (weighing 24,155 grams). Nguyen Thi Nhung (born 1976, residing in Dong Hieu commune, Thai Hoa town) was found in possession of 70 blocks of heroin (weighing 24,155 grams), and Nguyen Thi Chau (born 1968, residing in Tien Phong commune, Que Phong district) was found in possession of 50 blocks of heroin (weighing 17,125 grams) in three separate instances. After this transnational drug trafficking ring was dismantled, Nguyen Cong Hai quickly fled. He is currently the subject of a nationwide special wanted notice issued by the Nghe An Provincial Police Investigation Agency.

Considering the defendants' criminal acts were exceptionally serious, organized, and involved a quantity of heroin reaching 255 blocks, the first-instance court of the Nghe An Provincial People's Court sentenced defendants Manh, Thu, Han, Chau, and Hue to death and Nhung to life imprisonment for the crime of illegally trafficking narcotics.

Subsequently, the defendants filed appeals with the Supreme People's Court requesting a reduction in their sentences. At the appellate level, before the trial began, Mạnh and Thu withdrew their appeals and accepted the death sentence handed down by the lower court. Hân, Châu, Huệ, and Nhung maintained their appeals requesting a reduction in their sentences.

After reviewing all the evidence, the appellate court ruled that the sentences handed down by the lower court against the defendants were not harsh and were commensurate with the exceptionally dangerous acts they had committed against society, therefore there was no basis for leniency. After rejecting the appeals, the appellate court upheld the death sentences for Hue, Chau, and Han, and life imprisonment for Nhung, for the crime of illegal drug trafficking, as the lower court had ruled.

Khang Hoa