Recently, the Son Tra Border Guard Station (under the Da Nang Border Guard Command) announced that it has initiated a criminal case for “Illegal Drug Trafficking” occurring in Nai Hien Dong Ward (Son Tra District, Da Nang City) and handed over the dossier, evidence, and suspect Pham Thi Tra My (23 years old, residing in Son Tra District) to the Son Tra District Police for further investigation.
According to information from the Border Guard Newspaper, Tra My’s background is quite complicated; her parents are divorced, and after finishing 9th grade, she moved out to live independently in a rented room. For someone like Tra My, who has not completed high school, finding a job is very difficult. Moreover, due to the lack of parental supervision, she quickly fell into a free-spirited lifestyle, enjoying gatherings with friends. Despite being a girl, Tra My did not hesitate to tattoo her entire arm to express her personality.
Before her arrest, Pham Tra My was known as a hotgirl with a glamorous facade, frequently sharing luxurious images, checking in at various famous locations, restaurants, showcasing delicious meals, and posting pictures at bars, pubs, and playing billiards on social media.
A glamorous and luxurious life has made many young people dream of achieving the same. However, it was this very lifestyle that led Tra My to meet and befriend individuals involved in drug trafficking and use. To fund her personal expenses, Tra My decided to… dive into the drug trade.
With 1 liter of drug-infused essential oil purchased from Hanoi for 9.6 million VND, Tra My brought it to Da Nang, added food coloring with a fruity scent, and then repackaged it into smaller bottles at different prices.
Similar to her purchasing methods, Tra My primarily sold to customers online. Using her Facebook account, she posted in private groups offering “3ml for 140k, 5ml for 240k, 10ml for 450k,” along with enticing promises: “Free shipping, call 0766734xx, fast delivery throughout Da Nang… No money-back effect. Reputation above all.”
Pham Thi Tra My stated that her customers were scattered across various districts of the city, mostly born after 2000, including students. On average, she sold 1 liter every three days. The profits after sales would be four times the initial investment. The “light work, high pay” mentality made Tra My forget that she was breaking the law and continued down the path of crime.
Previously, according to information from the Ho Chi Minh City Police Newspaper, at 6:30 PM on October 14, on Tran Thanh Tong Street (belonging to group 12, Nai Hien Dong Ward), the working team of the Son Tra Border Guard Station discovered a suspect named Ha Duc Tr. (residing in group 25, Chinh Gian Ward, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang) showing suspicious behavior and proceeded to conduct a routine check.
The working group discovered 9 plastic bottles containing red and purple liquid in the trunk of the motorcycle operated by Tr. He confessed that the liquids were essential oils used for soaking into cigarettes and e-cigarettes. He was delivering the goods as a courier for a person named Pham Thi Tra My.
During the investigation, the Son Tra Border Guard Station collaborated with the Nai Hien Dong Ward Police to conduct a routine check at Pham Thi Tra My’s residence (born in 2001, residing at room 2004, house number 15 Duong Van Nga, Nai Hien Dong Ward), discovering 3 plastic bottles containing approximately 500ml, 20 plastic bottles containing about 100ml of liquid resembling the bottles found in Tr.’s motorcycle trunk, as well as 139 empty plastic bottles and various other paraphernalia used for repackaging.
On the afternoon of October 15, My voluntarily surrendered an additional 2 plastic bottles (containing approximately 1,000ml of yellow liquid). Through interrogation, My confessed that she ordered the essential oil via social media from an unidentified person, received the goods through a fast delivery service, brought them back to her room, then repackaged them into smaller bottles for sale.
According to the forensic examination results, the liquid sample contained the drug MDMB-4en-PINCA, totaling 680ml, with an average concentration of 0.132mg/ml.
