On January 15th and 16th, the trial panel of the People's Court of Nghe An province focused on clarifying the criminal acts of the defendants in the transnational drug trafficking ring led by Tran Thi Mau (56 years old, residing in Do Luong town, Nghe An).
Defendant Tran Thi Mau at the first-instance trial (Photo: Hoang Lam).
The accomplices of the defendant Mau include: Nguyen Sy Duc (59 years old), Nguyen Dinh Tuan (51 years old), Dau Thi Tuyet (48 years old), Phan Thi Loan (45 years old), Le Thi Hong (42 years old), all residing in Do Luong district; Nguyen Xuan Dung (53 years old, residing in Quang Ninh province), Nguyen Dinh Dung (39 years old, residing in Bac Giang province); Phan Thi Thu Hien (51 years old), Cu Hoang Hung (48 years old, both residing in Hanoi city) and Le Ngoc Tuyen (37 years old, residing in Hai Phong city).
According to allegations from authorities, Tran Thi Mau played the role of the ringleader in this drug trafficking network.
The transnational drug trafficking ring run by Mau was established in early 2021. Mau's drug supply came from two Laotian individuals whose identities could not be determined.
When a customer orders drugs, Mau contacts a Laotian contact to agree on a price. The Laotians have their accomplices carry the drugs across the border, cutting through the forest to gather them at a designated location. Mau then hires someone to receive the goods and transport them further inland before delivering them to the customer.
During the questioning and public debate at the trial, the first-instance trial panel clarified that, within nearly a year, Mau had directed his accomplices to carry out four illegal drug trafficking operations, with a total volume of over 105kg, including nearly 93kg of methamphetamine, 8.3kg of heroin, and over 3.8kg of synthetic drugs.
Mau squandered the billions of dong in profits he earned from buying drugs on gambling to satisfy his addiction to betting.
The remaining defendants in the ring, depending on their position and role, participated in the illegal trafficking of between 1kg and 90kg of various types of drugs.
The two defendants, Phan Thị Thu Hiền and Lê Ngọc Tuyến, were recommended to receive life imprisonment.
During the trial, the defendants stated that they were aware of their criminal actions, expressed remorse, and hoped for leniency from the law so that they could have a chance to live, to return home soon to care for their elderly parents and raise their children.
Due to the complexity of the case, the trial court decided to extend the deliberation period. The verdict will be announced on January 22nd.
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