I am a 40-year-old man who works as a porter and earns HK$25,000 per month. On July 14, 2022, the day I received my salary, I was arrested by a plainclothes officer. Prior to my arrest, I had used HK$5,000 to purchase some ketamine and cocaine, roughly 3.95g and 1.9g respectively.
Although I had only intended to bring these drugs home for me and my friends, my lawyer informed me that this still counts as a trafficking offense. As a result, I am facing a minimum sentence of three years. The sentence for trafficking 0-10 grams of ketamine is two to four years, which means that based on the amount I had, my sentence will be between two years and six months to two years and eight months. The sentence for trafficking 0-10 grams of cocaine is two to five years. Since I had both types of drugs on me, an additional six months will be added to my sentence.
I am paying the price for my wrongdoings and I have promised my family that I will not go back to my old ways. I want to be a productive member of society and make positive contributions.
In 2014, a friend introduced me to drugs, which led to my arrest in 2015 for trafficking 77 grams of cocaine. I was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months in prison. Although I stopped selling drugs after my release in 2019, I still struggled with addiction.
Before my recent arrest, my fiancé became pregnant. When she learned of my arrest, she was devastated and decided to have an abortion. I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for causing my fiancé’s depression and for the loss of our child due to my drug use. This moment was a wake-up call for me to start fresh and make up for the damage I caused to my fiancé.
I am also deeply remorseful for not being able to support my mother financially, as I used to provide her with HK$5,000 per month. I am paying the price for my wrongdoings and I have promised my family that I will not go back to my old ways. I want to be a productive member of society and make positive contributions.
I am currently in remand and have been for 10 months. Although my life is monotonous, I am using this time to reflect on my past mistakes. I deeply regret the pain and suffering I have caused those around me, particularly my fiancé and mother.
I have turned a corner and now I wish to help others when I get out of prison. Most importantly, I will say ‘NO’ to drugs.
Note: This letter has been translated and edited from its original in Chinese. Switch language to read the original letter.