‘Can I order?’ Texts which led to tragic drug death

Edward Lui was just 21 years when he came to Sydney for a trip of a lifetime with his mates – before it all went horribly wrong.

EXCLUSIVE

It was around 10pm that Ngoc Chau Le Hoang knew something was seriously wrong with her boyfriend Edward Lui.

The couple had done drugs at music festivals before – but this time the reaction had been different.

The group of friends from Melbourne – including Edward Lui – had travelled to Sydney for the festival. Picture: Facebook

As they got into a cab to leave the 2023 Knockout Festival at Sydney Olympic Park, she noticed Mr Lui started kissing his jacket.

Less than two hours later – he would be dead.

Nguyen organising to meet both Leow and Tran to supply them with the drugs which ultimately led to Mr Lui’s death. Picture: Supplied

Nguyen is put in a van back to Villawood Detention Centre where he has been staying while his court proceedings continue. Picture: News Corp Australia

On Tuesday, Trong Ha Nguyen will be sentenced for supplying his friend – a 21-year-old university student Edward Lui – the drugs that led to his death.

The Vietnamese 24-year-old Nandos worker had been supplying drugs to electronic music festivals since August 2022.

Edward Lui died of serotonin syndrome. Picture: News Corp Australia

At the Knockout Music Festival in 2023 – Nguyen supplied drugs to friends Jaime Tran and Nicholas Leow who then dispersed them to the rest of the friend group, including Mr Lui.

Court documents reveal Nguyen supplied a total 46 people with 1894 capsules of MDMA, six imported tablets of MDMA, 87 bags of edibles and six bags of ketamine for a financial reward of $33,725 on the day of the 2023 Knockout Music Festival.

Throughout the festival, Mr Lui took three MDMA capsules – which each contained 150mg – and an “imp” which contained 300mg.

After taking the cab ride back to their hotel on George Street after the festival, Mr Lui starting “flailing his arms around like he was not in control of his body”.

Two people died at Knockout Festival last year. Picture: Supplied

The festival is held at Sydney Olympic Park. Picture: Supplied

Ms Hoang called an ambulance after she noticed his skin was pale and his lips were purple.

Mr Lui was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital where he was treated for serotonin syndrome — a serious condition caused by drugs that build up high levels of serotonin in the body.

A nurse told Ms Hoang to call Mr Lui’s mother, but when she returned from the phone call, was told her boyfriend was dead.

Police arrested Nguyen on a Rex flight back to Melbourne.

Body-worn camera shows police approaching Nguyen on the flight when he drops a phone.

The officer asks him whether it is his phone and he says “no”.

However, in the footage, the officer sees the phone background as a picture of Knockout Festival. He was arrested and the phone was later found to be Nguyen’s.

Court documents reveal Nguyen had a number of “notes” on his phone which showed he had supplied to Epik, Transmission and Midnight Mafia festivals in the past.

Police also seized Leow’s phone which showed Mr Lui asking for the “imp”.

The texts from Mr Lui to Leow, who was charged for supplying him with the “imp”. Picture: Supplied

Mr Lui took three MDMA capsules and an “imp” before his death. Picture: Supplied

Both Leow and Tran were also sentenced for giving Mr Lui the drugs they bought from Nguyen.

They both received community correction orders for one count of the supply for the prohibited drug MDMA.

Nguyen had been in Australia on a student visa and was returned to Villawood Detention Centre after his court date. Picture: News Corp Australia

On Tuesday – during a hearing before his sentence on November 5 – the court heard how Nguyen has spent a year in Villawood Detention Centre, as his student visa expired shortly after his arrest.

Originally published as ‘Can I order?’ Texts which led to tragic drug death