I am a 26-year-old half-Pakistani charged with trafficking, involving approximately 90 grams of cocaine found in my residence during a police raid on May 1, 2022.
I grew up in a broken family. My parents divorced when I was four years old, leaving me to grow up with my mother, a single parent. Later, my stepfather frequently subjected me to physical abuse. One time, my injuries were so severe that my school called an ambulance, which took me to the hospital. This incident alerted the authorities, and my stepfather was subsequently taken to court on charges of domestic violence.
At 16, I left home to start working to financially support my mother, whose health declined after donating a kidney to my grandmother.
I first met my former boyfriend, when I was 15. We soon drifted apart but reconnected in 2020. He was a drug addict, and I began using drugs as well.
Initially, I naively admitted sole responsibility, thinking I was helping him. He had pleaded with me about his young daughter and I didn’t want him to go to jail.
On May 1, 2022, police raided my boyfriend’s home and we were both charged with trafficking. In my police statement, without fully considering the implications, I confessed that a friend had given me the drugs to store and that I had access to them for personal use. Consequently, my boyfriend was released.
Initially, I naively admitted sole responsibility, thinking I was helping him. He had pleaded with me about his young daughter and I didn’t want him to go to jail. I realize now that I was manipulated. When I later found out that he continued dealing drugs even after being cleared of the charge, I decided to assist the police in their investigation. I don’t want there to be any more victims of drug trafficking.
I was ignorant but not exactly innocent as I knew what was happening. I was a user, but now I’m completely off it. I’ve been clean since my arrest and remand.
While I’ve been in custody, my mother has become medically fragile. Furthermore, my great-grandmother passed away last year. Given these family issues, I’ve chosen to plead guilty in hopes of being released soon to care for them.
Note: This story has been edited to improve readability, improve grammar, and correct orthographic errors.
