I am 25 years of age, married. I work at a Chinese restaurant. I am a junior chef responsible for frying food and dishes for customers. My wife is a housewife. My mother passed away when I was 12 and my father when I was 14. My mother died of a stroke due to high blood pressure, my father had a lung infection and died on Christmas Eve two years later. Some things were really a coincidence… in my family. I am the youngest in the family and was the most loved. Since childhood, our family condition was not good but I did not blame my past. I tried to support myself by working hard. Maybe there were too many bad friends around me.
Due to the new year approaching, expenses in the family increased. I thought I should earn extra money to make my family happy. I did not want my wife to have a tough life taking care of two children. I had not been thinking straight at the moment and walked on a defrauded road….
The lure of easy money
Early last November, a colleague introduced me to this part-time job. He told me he went several times and got several million as reward. He asked me to try. He said if I agreed, someone would invite me into the WeChat group.
After several days, some people really added me into their WeChat group. However their profile photos seemed fake and they used different accounts to add me. They also asked me to send my passport photo and wait for them to arrange time. Subsequently they arranged me to go to Kuala Lumpur to meet them in a hotel. Afterwards I saw several strangers who were about my age. We waited at the hotel lobby for a few hours. Then someone took us up to the hotel room and a few more strange people with sacks came up. Then they each tied up those sacks with white powder on my body. I had eight sacks in total.
Then a group of immigration officers rushed towards me and caught me. They hit me several times and pushed me to the ground…. They pointed at me and told me all my friends were caught except me… I was extremely scared thinking my life was over….
We arrived three hours early at the airport. We were six altogether and we did not know each other. I thought they were responsible to supervise me to go to Hong Kong, so I should not act wrong. Upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, one of the men was interviewed by the immigration officer, so we each went our separate way. After leaving immigration, I waited at the taxi stand. Then a group of immigration officers rushed towards me and caught me. They hit me several times and pushed me to the ground. They queried why I resisted but I said, “I did not, sir!” They pointed at me and told me all my friends were caught except me. But I did not know those men, how come they were my friends? I was extremely scared thinking my life was over…. I was detained for a few days and had an epilepsy relapse. I was at the bottom of hope thinking that I would never see my wife and children again. Then I realised those men were caught for the same crime.
Road with no return
I deeply regret all my acts due to temporary greediness of money to land on a road with no return. In my days at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, I appealed to God to lead me, a lost lamb, to go back onto a straight road to be reunited with my family of four. I had called my wife to find out that not a cent was received. Then I realised I was cheated….
So I wish to warn people in Malaysia to be aware not to be cheated. These were only their deception practices. I only wish to lead an ordinary life. After this lesson, I hope my family and friends waiting for me outside will be happy, peaceful and healthy…. While I am still at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, I will pray for them and for myself to be able to walk anew onto a straight road. I will trust my life to God and reflect upon my wrong actions.
I am willing to bear responsibility for my faults, I am willing to be responsible for my own behaviour. Now I feel at ease. Thank you Lord for allowing a chance to see my wife and children again.
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NO MORE MULES: It’s easy to be deceived by the promise of easy money. Watch this video to learn one of the many ways drug traffickers operate in Asia and use others for their trade. Follow us on Facebook and share so others don’t fall victim.
Note: This letter has been translated and edited from its original language in Chinese.
