I am a 28-year-old man, arrested last year around March for drugs found in my car. I was then charged for trafficking dangerous drugs. I have been in custody for more than 10 months now, and my sentencing is scheduled for March 2022.
I used to drive for a living: delivery vans, dump trucks, and cranes. But a few years ago, I started to become addicted to gambling, putting more and more money into it and going more and more into debt. When the pandemic hit, work opportunities became scarce, and my income along with it. That put the debt-ridden me under a lot of stress. Someone told me to try some drugs, and that was how I went down the wrong path – harming both others and my own future.
I regret going down this wrong path. I am blessed that my family has been by my side throughout my ordeal. I can only see them once or twice a week, for 15 minutes each visit. My grandma is 98 now and has difficulty going about, so I haven’t seen her since I was arrested. I can only hear from my parents that she mentions me every day.
I had a great relationship with my grandma, as she was the one who raised me. I miss her dearly too. I hope to finish my sentence as soon as possible and go back home to my family.
…so now I have to be strong and brave my sentence – it will be difficult, but it is also what must be done. Such is the punishment for my wrongdoings.
Selling drugs for quick cash is a wrong concept, the punishment for drug trafficking is extreme: two years of imprisonment for just a few grams, and you lose not only your freedom but also harm the health of others. So please don’t believe those who say selling drugs is a quick way to make money. When you are arrested, do some math on your jail sentence, and you will find that the salary you get from a regular job would be equal to or more than what you can get for the same period. But most importantly is that you lose your freedom, and get a permanent criminal record. It’s just not worth it.
I am very regretful of everything now, but regretting is of no use.
All I can do is hope for a fresh start, turn a new leaf, and start a new journey. I hope that all of you reading this can change your mind, and not go down the wrong path as I did.
I am lucky that I was caught with just a small amount of drugs, so my sentence would be around two years in jail. But that is more than enough for me to reflect upon how much I am sorry to my family and friends. They have to come to the Lai Chi Kok Reception Center every week to visit me and have to prepare books and daily necessities for me every week. They have never abandoned me, so now I have to be strong and brave my sentence – it will be difficult, but it is also what must be done. Such is the punishment for my wrongdoings.
I wish everyone to plan for their future, and not go down the wrong path. On a side note, the pandemic situation has been unpredictable lately, so I wish for everyone’s good health.
Note: This letter was translated from the original in Chinese and edited to aid readability.
