I met a friend a long time ago when I was working in Malaysia. We worked at the same Thai massage shop. She was always good to me. I borrowed money from her when I had financial difficulties. She would also tell me I needn’t worry about returning her the money quickly. At that time I had borrowed a total of 20,000 baht from her.
She wanted her money back. Since I didn’t have it, she said she had a job for me. She told me to take a bag to give to someone in Hong Kong. She did not tell me what would be inside the bag. I had no choice.
I went back to Thailand to settle my finances and did not see her again until the day she contacted me on Facebook. She wanted her money back. Since I didn’t have it, she said she had a job for me. She wanted me to take a bag to someone in Hong Kong. She did not tell me what would be inside the bag. I had no choice.
On 18 June 2019, I flew from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. My friend booked the ticket and the hotel for me. When I reached Phnom Penh, I checked into the hotel, she told me to wait there until someone would call me.
I got a phone call the next day from a man I didn’t know. He said his wife would come to the hotel and he asked me to meet her in the lobby. On the second day, at around 11am, the woman came with a big box covered in plastic, handed it to me, and asked me to sign the receipt. I asked my friend on the phone what is this? She said inside was a ‘machine’, the same as the picture on the box.
On June 20, I checked out of the hotel and asked the reception to book a car for me to go to Siem Reap. My friend told me to bring the box to a man in Hong Kong, I don’t know his name, but my friend said he is from Africa.
I didn’t know the box was filled with ‘ice’. I am now detained in Hong Kong for trafficking dangerous drugs.
I did this job because I couldn’t say no, and had many money problems. I am a mother of three and the sole breadwinner in the family. My father and my mother are divorced. I wanted money to take care of my family.
Note: The original letter was written in both Thai and English. The English version has been edited to improve readability.
CASE UPDATE: This woman was recently acquitted by a jury after almost three years in prison. Watch her tell the story of her ordeal here.
