Death sentence upheld for 2 defendants in the trafficking ring of 110 heroin cakes

(Baonghean.vn)- On the morning of January 13, the High People's Court in Hanoi opened a criminal appeal trial for the case of illegally trading 110 heroin cakes due to the appeal of Tran Quang Anh Dung and Phan Dinh Tuan.

According to the records, Phan Dinh Tuan, also known as Tuan “lay” (born in 1971, residing in Vinh City, Nghe An) and Tran Quang Anh Dung (born in 1966, residing in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City) had 3 heroin transactions with a total of 110 cakes. The first transaction took place on June 26, 2014 with 30 heroin cakes. The second transaction took place on July 5, 2014 with 40 heroin cakes. The third transaction took place on July 15, 2014 with 40 heroin cakes caught red-handed. In all 3 transactions, Tuan hired Nguyen Huu Song (born in 1970, residing in Vinh City, Nghe An) to transport the heroin to Ho Chi Minh City to deliver to Tran Quang Anh Dung.

Subject Tran Quang Anh Dung at the trial

On February 10, 2015, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a trial and sentenced Phan Dinh Tuan and Tran Quang Anh Dung to death for illegal drug trafficking. Nguyen Huu Song was sentenced to life in prison for illegal drug transportation.

Tran Quang Anh Dung and Phan Dinh Tuan filed an appeal for a reduction in their sentences, which was later changed to an appeal for injustice, and sent to the High People's Court. Accordingly, Tuan and Dung only admitted to participating in the illegal purchase and sale of 70 heroin cakes on June 26, 2014 and July 15, 2014, with a total of 70 heroin cakes, and did not admit to purchasing and selling 40 heroin cakes on July 5, 2014.

In this case, Nguyen Huu Song did not appeal but was cited to attend the trial as a witness. At the high-level appeal hearing, Nguyen Huu Song admitted to transporting 70 heroin cakes twice on June 26 and July 15, 2014. Song's admission of transporting 40 heroin cakes on July 5 in his self-confession, interrogation, etc. was due to being forced to confess by the investigator.

Subject Phan Dinh Tuan at the trial

Phan Dinh Tuan said that on July 5, 2014, Tuan had an alibi. On July 5, Tuan went to a wedding and got drunk, then rested at the wedding hotel until almost midnight, so he could not have bought and sold 40 heroin cakes on July 5, 2014 as the first instance court had determined.

Tran Quang Anh Dung also did not admit to buying and selling 40 heroin cakes on July 5, 2014. Dung claimed that he was forced to confess by the investigator. The panel of judges determined that Song and Dung's claims of being forced to confess were unfounded because the working sessions of the investigation agency were witnessed by representatives of the Nghe An Provincial People's Procuracy and the defendant's defense attorney.

Based on the arrest report, the search report, the seized evidence, the witness statements, the collected documents and evidence... the panel of judges determined that there was sufficient basis to confirm that Phan Dinh Tuan and Tran Quang Anh Dung had committed the act of buying and selling this amount of heroin. The court of first instance had a basis for convicting Phan Dinh Tuan and Tran Quang Anh Dung of buying and selling 110 heroin cakes. The panel of judges rejected the appeal for injustice and upheld the death sentence for Phan Dinh Tuan and Tran Quang Anh Dung.

Khang Hoa