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| Đặng Minh Châu (right), ring leader, and other members of the transnational drug trafficking network in court yesterday in Hà Nội. – Photo vov.vn |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội People’s Court has upheld the death sentence to eight people of a drug ring for trafficking 490 bricks of heroin, weighing some 171.5kg, hidden in gas cylinders.
They are Nguyễn Quốc Hùng, 34, from Thái Bình Province; Đàm Việt Thắng, 51; Lục Văn Thượng, 45; and Lộc Minh Đức, 39; as well as Đàm Ngọc Giang, 27, from Lạng Sơn Province; Nghiêm Công Dũng, 32; Nguyễn Văn Tình, 28, from Hà Nội City; and Lò Văn Hoàn, 27, from Sơn La Province.
Hùng was also charged with illegal possession of weapons.
Following four days of trial, the court on Thursday confirmed life imprisonment for three others -- Đặng Minh Châu, Vi Văn Tuấn and Hoàng Thị Liên from Lạng Sơn province -- also for drug trafficking.
Nguyễn Hoàng Quân from southern Cần Thơ City received 18 months in prison for illegal possession of weapons, while Huỳnh Kim Thu from Hà Nội faced a 12-month suspended prison sentence for not reporting crimes.
According to the court, the drug crime investigation force, known as C47, under the Ministry of Public Security, along with the Việt Nam Coast Guard Command and police from Hòa Bình Povince and Hà Nội, arrested six people for trafficking 170 bricks of heroin, hidden in a blue gas cylinder in July 2015.
The police also discovered two others industrial gas cylinders containing 320 heroin packages while raiding Hùng’s rented house in Hoài Đức District of Hà Nội.
In addition, they confiscated two guns and bullets while searching Nguyễn Hoàng Quân’s house.
Expanding the investigation, the police discovered a particularly large drug trafficking network, with people in many provinces and cities across the country involved.
The defendants colluded together to form a closed and transnational drug trafficking network, led by Hùng and Đặng Minh Châu.
From 2004 to 2015, the defendants traded 1,182 bricks of heroin, 568 of which were seized by the police. They also used weapons to resist arrest.
Among the 13 defendants, Châu was identified as the ringleader, involved in the illegal trade of 862 bricks of heroin, weighing more than 303kg. The death penalty was considered in Châu’s case, but the court sentenced her to life in jail as she is raising young children. — VNS
