Vietnam's Next Top Model contestant gets prison time for drug possession

The 30-year-old model was tried alongside 12 others by the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 on Wednesday.

Dinh Nhikolai stands before the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City's District 1, March 26, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quoc Thang

Nhikolai was arrested in June 2024 after District 1 police discovered him and several others exhibiting suspicious behavior during a routine patrol. Upon inspection, authorities found Nhikolai concealing 0.2 grams of methamphetamine in his shoes.

Nhikolai confessed to purchasing 0.1 grams of methamphetamine from 34-year-old Trinh Ba Hoa for VND250,000 ($9.77). He was detained before consuming the drug.

Standing at 1.92 meters tall, Nhikolai rose to fame after participating in Vietnam's Next Top Model in 2013. Nicknamed the "Russian hybrid male god," he has since become a familiar face in Vietnam's entertainment industry.

Dinh Nhikholai as a model. Photo by Ngoi Sao

Further investigation led authorities to apprehend 56-year-old Trinh Thi Hoa and her two sons, including Trinh Ba Hoa, for involvement in drug trading. Hoa received a sentence of nine years and six months in prison, while others involved were sentenced to terms of up to eight years.