In Mường Lạn commune, the provincial People’s Court opened a mobile court to try two cases of illegal trading and transport of narcotics on June 25, 2026. In the first case, two defendants, Hà Thị Nga and Lò Thị Phương, were identified as having traded heroin multiple times with a total weight of over 428.52 grams. On October 20, 2025, while Lò Thị Phương was taking a passenger bus to Hanoi to deliver heroin to Nga, she was caught red-handed by the Điện Biên provincial Police carrying over 51.11 grams of heroin. Before the court, Nga and Phương confessed to their crimes, and based on legal regulations, the Trial Panel sentenced each defendant to 20 years in prison.

Immediately after, the Court proceeded to try defendant Tráng A Páo, residing in Huổi Khương village, Mường Chà commune, for the illegal transport of narcotics. Páo accepted a job to transport 10 bricks of heroin for Lý Giả Cơ, residing in Mường Mô commune, Lai Châu province, for a fee of VND 30 million. Not knowing the way, Páo asked Sùng A Sử from Pú Nen village, Búng Lao commune to drive him. On January 17, 2026, while the two individuals were transporting the drugs to Lai Châu, they were caught red-handed by the Điện Biên provincial Police. However, the driver Sùng A Sử fled the scene, and Lý Giả Cơ fled his place of residence. Tráng A Páo had a prior conviction for illegal drug trading, having served a seven-year prison sentence, and had his criminal record expunged. Nevertheless, for this recurrent offense, Páo was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Nguyễn Thị Hòa, Deputy Chief Justice of the Điện Biên provincial People’s Court, shared: “Mường Lạn is a border area adjacent to Sơn La province, where drug crimes remain highly complex. Organizing mobile trials aims to disseminate, educate, and elevate public awareness in preventing and fighting drug crimes, while demonstrating the strictness of the law in handling violations.”

As Điện Biên is a border province, drug-related crimes and social evils remain highly complex, and relapse rates are still high. Implementing the new regulations of Law No.86/2025/QH15, which amends and supplements several articles of the 2015 Penal Code, the Area 1 People’s Court selected the provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center as the venue for mobile trials to disseminate and disseminate the law directly to target groups.

On June 29, 2026, the Area 1 People’s Court coordinated with the provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center to hold a mobile trial for three cases involving the illegal possession, trading, and organizing of illicit drug use. Among the cases, defendant Phạm Đức Hùng was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the illegal trading of narcotics, having purchased 11.12 grams of Methamphetamine and Ketamine and subsequently selling 10 Methamphetamine pills to Trịnh Xuân Tùng. On February 3, 2026, while Tùng and Lò Thị Ngọc Liên were abusing drugs at Liên’s residence, they were caught red-handed. Tùng received a sentence of three years and nine months in prison, while Liên received a sentence of three years and six months in prison for organizing the illegal use of narcotics.

Also at the Provincial Rehabilitation Center, the Area 1 People’s Court brought to trial defendant Lê Đức Lĩnh, residing in Điện Biên Phủ ward, for the illegal use of narcotics. Lĩnh is a drug addict with a history of prior convictions and administrative violations, and was undergoing drug rehabilitation. On March 18, 2026, the Điện Biên Phủ ward Police conducted a rapid test on Lĩnh and detected methamphetamine use. For his criminal acts, Lĩnh was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for the illegal use of narcotics.

Lê Đình Hà, Deputy Chief Justice of the Area 1 People’s Court, stated: “Bringing the courtroom directly to the Rehabilitation Center helps recovering addicts gain direct access to new legal regulations and clearly recognize the legal consequences of violations, thereby upgrading their law-abiding awareness and determination to give up drugs.”

Mobile trials are becoming an effective form of legal dissemination on drug prevention and control in Điện Biên province. Every open court session and each strict judgment contribute to raising public awareness, increasing the deterrence effect against criminals, and further elevating the spirit of respecting the law within the community.