After two days of trial, this morning (December 16), the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court sentenced Chu Ba Chung (40 years old, Canadian citizen), Truong Ngoc Mai (27, resident of District 1), and Tran Kim Loan (52, resident of District 5) to death for “illegal trafficking of narcotics.”

Two other accomplices, Mai Thi Ngan (30, from Bac Lieu) and Do Thi Minh Tam (39, resident of District 3), were sentenced to life imprisonment for the same charge.

Nguyen Vu Khai Hoang (29, from Binh Dinh) was also sentenced to death for “illegal transportation of narcotics.”

Details of the case

On the morning of September 16, 2022, police in District 5 stopped and searched Truong Ngoc Mai due to suspicious behavior. The search uncovered nearly 12 kilograms of methamphetamine. Under questioning, Mai admitted she was delivering drugs on behalf of Chu Ba Chung.

A subsequent search of Mai’s residence in Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City, yielded no additional evidence, but Mai disclosed that it was a drop-off location where Nguyen Vu Khai Hoang delivered various types of drugs.

Later that day, law enforcement confiscated nearly 1 kilogram of methamphetamine from Tran Kim Loan and Do Thi Minh Tam.

Based on statements from the suspects, on September 22, 2022, Ho Chi Minh City Police issued an emergency arrest warrant for Chu Ba Chung, a Vietnamese-Canadian, to investigate his involvement.

Operation of the drug ring

According to Chung's testimony, he was hired in early 2019 by a man named Trai (identity unknown) to store and distribute drugs in Ho Chi Minh City. For each kilogram sold, Chung earned $100–200 USD.

By early 2020, Chung recruited Mai to receive drugs from Trai’s associates and store them at her residence, paying her VND 10 million per week. Trai would deliver between 5 and 30 kilograms of drugs every 1–2 months and provide customer details to Chung and Mai for distribution.

Nguyen Vu Khai Hoang admitted he was hired by a man named Thach (identity unknown) to transport drugs for Mai. On September 13, 2022, Hoang drove to the Bo Y border gate area in Kon Tum Province to collect a suitcase containing 30 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10.4 kilograms of MDMA from Thach. He was paid VND 100 million to transport the drugs to Mai in Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City.

To evade detection, Hoang stopped at his home in An Nhon Town, Binh Dinh Province, where he hid the drugs in a custom compartment under the rear seat of his car.

On September 16, 2022, Mai packaged nearly 12 kilograms of methamphetamine into three cardboard boxes to deliver to a man named Binh (identity unknown) and 22 other individuals on Chung’s instructions. She was caught in the act.

Tran Kim Loan confessed she was hired by a man named Tam (identity unknown) to deliver drugs to buyers in Ho Chi Minh City. Tam would send instructions to Loan, and Mai would provide the drugs for her to deliver. Do Thi Minh Tam assisted Loan with deliveries in exchange for payment.

Mai Thi Ngan was tasked by Chung with receiving drugs from Mai to resell to other buyers.

According to the prosecution, Chung and Mai were responsible for trafficking over 100 kilograms of various narcotics. Ngan was accountable for more than 1.3 kilograms, Loan for nearly 3 kilograms of methamphetamine, Tam for nearly 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, and Hoang for over 40 kilograms of various drugs.

Thanh Phuong