On 4/9, Phuc and his wife, Nguyen Ngoc Phuong, 23, were convicted of illegally trading narcotics by the Dong Thap Provincial People's Court.
In court, both defendants admitted their actions. The court panel determined this was a case of simple complicity, with Phuc as the mastermind and Phuong as an accomplice. The court deemed their actions gravely dangerous to society, causing a loss of security and order in the locality.
According to the indictment, Phuc stated he had previously met a 31-year-old woman from Vinh Long. As the couple was unemployed and needed money, from February 2025, Phuc began contacting this woman via the Threema application, agreeing to deliver drugs for hire.
After receiving the goods, Phuc brought them back to his rented room and divided them as instructed. Whenever there was a buyer, he was informed of the quantity, price, and delivery location. He then used an electric bike provided by a friend to deliver the drugs and collect payment.
Over nine months, Phuc stated he made approximately 100 deliveries, with each batch of goods valued from 350,000 VND to 6 million VND. On days when transactions occurred, Phuc was paid one million VND.
On 18/11/2025, the Dong Thap Provincial Police Drug Crime Investigation Department, in coordination with the ward police, inspected a rented house in Thoi Son ward. They discovered several cardboard boxes containing 5 kg of various types of crystal methamphetamine, along with electronic scales, a vacuum sealer, and over 500 million VND in cash.
At the investigative agency, Phuc stated he received approximately 60 million VND in total payment, subsequently giving his wife 40 million VND for rent and living expenses.
 |
Vo Hoang Phuc and his wife in court. *Photo: Hoang Nam* |
The wife helped sort and store money
Phuong stated that after approximately six months, she became aware of her husband selling drugs. Although she did not directly divide or sell them, she helped sort the money by denomination, bundle it into stacks, and store it in a safe in the bedroom.
Monthly, Phuc gave his wife approximately 20 million VND from the drug proceeds for living expenses. When her husband requested, Phuong took money from the safe and gave it to Phuc to hand over to the supplier.
Phuong also stated she accompanied her husband three times when he said they were "going to dinner," but was subsequently driven to secluded locations to deliver and receive items from strangers, knowing they were drugs.
Regarding the woman Phuc identified as the "dealer," she denied any drug transactions with Phuc during multiple interviews with the investigative agency.
Forensic examination of the seized phones also found no Threema application, accounts, or information related to drug trading.
The investigative agency determined that apart from Phuc's testimony, there was no other evidence to prove the woman's criminal act. She has since left the locality, and her residential address is unknown, so she cannot yet be considered for prosecution.
Hoang Nam
