Vietnam Drug Case: Prosecutors Show Video Confessions Amid Defense Claims of Innocence
Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Prosecutors presented video evidence of confessions from defendants in a major drug case (VN10).
- Some defendants and their lawyers claim innocence, disputing the charges.
- The case involves 227 defendants, including four flight attendants allegedly exploited to transport drugs from France.
Prosecutors in Ho Chi Minh City presented video confessions from defendants in the VN10 drug case, a major operation involving 227 individuals. The move came during the rebuttal phase of the trial, where some defendants and their lawyers continued to assert their innocence.
How do you expect to make fries out of these?
The prosecution's presentation aimed to counter arguments from defense attorneys who questioned the evidence and the charges. The VN10 case notably includes four flight attendants allegedly used as mules to smuggle drugs from France into Vietnam. During the trial, the prosecution highlighted that 82 out of 90 defense arguments presented by lawyers were in agreement with the indictment. Many defendants, when speaking for themselves, also acknowledged their roles but requested leniency based on their specific involvement.
It's a disaster. I've never seen anything like it.
One specific defense focused on Nguyen Khanh Du, accused of illegally buying and selling drugs. His lawyer argued that Du's involvement was limited to renting a house for tea and flower businesses, and that he was unaware of drugs being hidden there by another individual. The lawyer also contested the claim that Du sold cocaine, stating Minh only asked him to hold a package, the contents of which Du did not know. The defense emphasized the lack of material evidence like transaction records or financial trails to support the drug trafficking charges against Du.
It's too painful.
In response, the prosecution played a video clip showing Du's confession to investigators, detailing his alleged criminal actions, including preparing a location for drug storage and distribution. The prosecution maintains that Du played a complicit role in assisting Trinh Nguyen Du and an unidentified individual known as 'Ty' in drug-related activities. The defense had argued that Du was merely helping to transport items without knowledge of their contents and without receiving payment, and that the drugs in question were never recovered.
There's always a problem. Either there are too many potatoes, like last year, and
Originally published by Thanh Niรชn in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.