On the afternoon of 2/7, the Hanoi People's Court announced the verdict after two days of trial. The defendants were Ha Minh Duc, 40, a former officer of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Team of Long Bien District Police, and Nguyen Van Hung, 44, a former officer of Duc Giang Ward Police, Long Bien District.

The kingpin, Nguyen Thi Kim Huong (aka Huong "Mau"), 42, received a life sentence. Nguyen The Thanh, 33, and his younger brother Nguyen The Lap, 25, were sentenced to death. Seven of Thanh and Huong's accomplices also received the death penalty.

Thus, with the exception of Huong's life sentence, the court handed down death sentences to the remaining 11 defendants. All were tried for the crime of illegal drug trafficking.

The judging panel assessed this as a case of illegal drug trafficking on a large scale and of particular severity. The drugs were bought, sold, and delivered through unofficial border crossings between Vietnam and Laos in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.

The criminal group operated anonymously, using coded language and transporting drugs via passenger buses to Long Bien bus station. There, former police officers Hung and Duc provided protection in various ways, illegally interfering over an extended period, including using police vehicles to transport drugs and storing them at their homes.

Thanh played the mastermind role, profiting 5 billion VND. Huong was the point of contact, distributing the drugs in Hanoi and Bac Ninh, and profiting over 4 billion VND. The others were active accomplices.

9 of the 12 defendants had prior drug-related convictions. Thanh and 3 accomplices, including one born in 2001 – the youngest defendant in the case – had already been sentenced to death in other drug trafficking cases. Huong had previously received a life sentence in a drug trafficking case tried by the Hanoi People's Court in 2023.

Former police officer Ha Minh Duc (front row). Photo: Danh Lam

Former police officer Ha Minh Duc (front row). Photo: Danh Lam

In the closing arguments yesterday afternoon, the People's Procuracy proposed 11 death sentences, excluding Huong who received a life sentence because she is raising a young child. The prosecution argued that the defendants failed to recognize drugs as addictive substances and the cause of other dangerous crimes, yet continued to trade drugs in exceptionally large quantities and distribute them throughout society. The People's Procuracy deemed it necessary to impose strict sentences commensurate with the crimes as a deterrent and for general prevention.

During the debate, the defendants and their lawyers pleaded for leniency based on their family circumstances. Former police officer Ha Minh Duc mentioned his father, also a Long Bien District police officer and a People's Public Security martyr, who died in the line of duty in 2006.

In response, the People's Procuracy considered this an organized crime case in which former police officer Duc played a significant role. They affirmed that they had carefully considered the case and also wanted to propose the lightest possible sentence. "Of the 12 defendants, the one who committed the fewest crimes still trafficked 19 kg of drugs, while the most trafficked over 136 kg. The quantity is immense," the People's Procuracy stated.

In their final words, each defendant spoke for less than half a minute. Thanh asked for reduced sentences for his accomplices, taking responsibility upon himself. Huong, a single mother, pleaded to live and care for her 4 young children. The remaining defendants expressed remorse and asked for leniency, citing their families and parents.

Former police officer Nguyen Van Hung (front row) and Huong "Mau" (yellow shirt) at the court. Photo: Danh Lam

Former police officer Nguyen Van Hung (front row) and Huong "Mau" (yellow shirt) at the court. Photo: Danh Lam

According to the indictment, the case unfolded in 2019 when Thanh transported 136.8 kg of drugs from Laos to Vietnam. Huong claimed to "have a very good relationship with the police," assuring Thanh that selling drugs to her for domestic distribution would be safe.

Thanh's associates then received the drugs from Cau Treo border gate, Ha Tinh, and transported them to an apartment building on Linh Nam street, Hanoi. The drugs were concealed inside a wooden cabinet and a large vacuum cleaner.

Asked by Huong to assist with transportation, Hung drove an official 500kg-capacity vehicle belonging to Duc Giang Ward Police to the apartment building lobby and transported the drugs to Huong's rented accommodation.

A day after the successful delivery, Huong called Hung to introduce him to her "associates": "This is an officer from Duc Giang Ward Police, the one who used a police vehicle to transport the drugs," the indictment stated.

Deeming the rented accommodation unsafe for storage, Huong requested and received Hung's consent to hide the drugs in the garage behind his house for a period. From there, Huong and Duc retrieved and sold the drugs in smaller quantities.

Hung was accused of "aiding and abetting" Huong and her accomplices in trafficking 37 kg of drugs, profiting 740 million VND.

The defendants at the court. Photo: Danh Lam

The defendants at the court. Photo: Danh Lam

Regarding former police officer Ha Minh Duc, the People's Procuracy determined that Huong introduced Duc to her accomplices, stating, "This is an officer from the Long Bien District Drug Police, so you all know each other." The purpose was to build trust and reassure her accomplices about the drug trafficking operation.

In September 2019, when informed by Huong that someone in their group had been arrested by Long Bien District Police while delivering drugs, Duc reassured her, stating that based on his "work experience," he knew the investigating agency would search related locations.

Consequently, Duc instructed Huong to "clear out all the drugs" hidden in her rented accommodation. The People's Procuracy established that not only did Duc sell drugs with Huong in Hanoi, but he also made several trips to Hue to discuss drug trafficking methods with Thanh. Several successful shipments were facilitated by Duc.

Duc was determined to have "aided and abetted" Huong in trafficking 134.8 kg of drugs, illegally profiting 1.3 billion VND.

In court, the two former police officers admitted to using official vehicles to transport goods for Huong and meeting her accomplices as accused, but claimed to be "unaware" of their drug trafficking activities. When asked for help, Duc said, "Do whatever you want, I don't know," as Huong was a former classmate.

Duc accepted the money Huong gave him, although in court he claimed "not to know what the money was for." The People's Procuracy assessed Duc's actions and awareness as being "exploited by drug criminals" to commit crimes, as it's illogical for drug traffickers to casually discuss their business with anti-narcotics police.

Thanh Lam