Drug trial: Nguyen Trong Thang discloses new drug deals

[Dam Son <son@fermi.phys.washington.edu>]

Drug trafficking trial in Hanoi: Nguyen Trong Thang discloses new drug
deals

Defendant Nguyen Trong Thang, employee at Nam Ha-Udomsay Import-Export
Company, suddenly voiced his willingness to disclose new drug deals to the
court as the trial entered its sixth day (May 8).

In the first deal, Thang and Dao Xuan Xe, driver at Transport Company 3,
received heroin from Bui Danh Ca, border guard captain with the Tay Trang
border checkpoint, and Tran Ngoc Duong, former border guard and first
lieutenant with the Tay Trang border checkpoint. 

And they transferred the heroin to lead defendant Vu Xuan Truong after
that. 

Thang told the court that on the second occasion, Sieng Kham Chan, a
Laotian drug trafficker, owed US$30,000 to a silk dealer in Nam Ha
Province and Thang agreed to collect the debt for the silk dealer.
However, Chan converted the debt into heroin which Thang transferred to
Duong Ngoc Thang. 

In the third transaction, Thang received heroin from Bui Danh Ca, border
guard captain as requested by Vu Xuan Truong and asked Vu Phong Ma, former
police captain, to deliver the drugs to Hanoi. In addition, Thang
transferred drugs to Vu Xuan Truong one another time. 

Thang confessed that he was paid US$4,000 to US$5,000 for his cooperation
with Truong. Sieng Kham Chan told the court that he sold heroin to Thong
Sa Vat, a Laotian, and several Vietnamese at his house in Laos but not in
Vietnam. And he petitioned the panel of judges to transfer his case to
Laos for trial there after he heard that the heaviest penalty for a drug
trafficker in Laos is eight to 10 years' imprisonment. 

On the previous day, the court questioned Vu Ban, former senior
lieutenant-colonel, and Le Van Quan, former police major, in respect to
their investigation of the Sieng Pheng and Sieng Nhung cases. 

Sources said lead defendant Vu Xuan Truong attempted to commit suicide,
but it was not successful.