Laotian man sentenced to life in prison for drug trafficking

On December 25, the High Court in Hanoi opened an appeal trial of Bi Vang (born in 1992, residing in Lac Xao town, Kham Cot district, Bolikhamxay province, Laos) for the crime of "Illegal transportation of drugs".

According to the indictment, on March 18, 2019, a Laotian man (unknown origin and specific address) brought a black plastic bag to Bi Vang's house and said it was drugs. This man hired Bi Vang to transport it through Thanh Thuy border gate, Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province to deliver to a Vietnamese man and promised to pay 3,500,000 Lao kip (equivalent to 10 million VND). Bi Vang agreed.

After getting Bi Vang's phone number, the man said that at around 11am on March 22, he would bring the drugs to the asphalt road near Thanh Thuy border gate (Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An) and someone would contact him and come to receive them. Bi Vang took the package of drugs and hitched a ride on a Laotian man's motorbike to the Nam On village area, Xay Cham Phon district, Bolikhamxay province and stayed there.

Defendant Bi Vang at the trial. Photo:Nguyen Duong

At around 6am on March 22, Bi Vang took a shortcut through the Thanh Thuy border gate in Thanh Chuong district to deliver the goods. At 11am that same day, someone called and informed that someone would pick Bi Vang up to deliver the drugs. Then, a car without a license plate, with 3 Vietnamese men inside, opened the car door for Bi Vang to get in to deliver the drugs and receive payment.

When reaching Km63+00, National Highway 46, in Thanh Thuy commune, Thanh Chuong district, the car stopped on the side of the road. Bi Vang gave the drug package to the man and was about to receive the money when he saw the Nghe An Provincial Border Guard, so he grabbed the drug bag and jumped out of the car to escape but was arrested, the people in the car escaped. The seized evidence included 100 pink compressed packages, with a total weight of 1,942.29g of drugs.

In the first instance trial, the People's Court of Nghe An province sentenced the defendant Bi Vang to life in prison for the crime of "Illegal transportation of narcotics". Considering that the defendant's act of illegally transporting narcotics was less dangerous than the act of "Illegal trading of narcotics", the defendant filed an appeal asking the panel of judges to consider reducing the sentence so that the defendant could soon return to his family.

At the appeal hearing, Bi Vang admitted to the crime as charged by the Procuracy. However, given the nature, behavior, and amount of drugs the defendant transported, the panel of judges determined that the first instance verdict sentencing defendant Bi Vang to life in prison for the crime of “Illegal drug trafficking” was the right person, the right crime, and not unjust. Considering the appeal, although the defendant had no previous convictions, confessed honestly, and repented, the defendant had illegally transported a very large amount of drugs into Vietnam.

In this trial, the defendant made additional statements and denounced the drug dealer, but there was no basis for verification. The panel of judges requested the investigation agency to clarify the subject Bi Vang denounced.

After reviewing the circumstances, the appellate court did not accept the defendant's appeal, upholding the original sentence of life imprisonment for defendant Bi Vang for the crime of "Illegal transportation of narcotics".