I’m 27 years old, and I’m from India. I am married and have three beautiful children. My middle child is a boy, 2 years old, and the rest are girls. The oldest is only 5 years old, and the youngest is under 1 year and still breastfeeding.
I grew up in a poor family and have only one brother who is physically handicapped; he cannot walk and needs to use a wheelchair to move around. My father left us 8 years ago before I got married, and my mother has taken care of us since then. My life has been a struggle since my parents divorced, and because of that, I had to drop my education to take care of my mother and older brother. I hadn’t had time to finish my graduation, and as a result, I was unable to find a good enough job to sustain my family.
After going through many hard times to earn money, time passed, and I got married when I was 22. After having 3 kids, I moved to Delhi, trying to find a better job.
After enduring a lot of hardship in Delhi, a stranger talked to me one night, saying that some of my friends had given him my number. He offered me a job that I had never heard of before.
He proposed a free trip to Ethiopia and then to Hong Kong, stating that all I had to do was carry one hand luggage for them from Ethiopia to Hong Kong. I was a little curious and asked him what the benefit would be for me if I took that offer and what exactly was inside the luggage. He assured me that I shouldn’t worry about anything, as they would take care of it, and if I completed the job, he promised to give me US$1,000 plus free tickets and a hotel stay.
At that time, I was desperate and broke, unable to reject the offer, as my mother was in the worst state of her health. She needed to go to the hospital for eye surgery. Additionally, I couldn’t even pay my rent in Delhi or support my family back home.
Eventually, I chose to take the offer and went on the trip. Everything went smoothly at first until I reached Hong Kong. It was on the evening of October 1, 2023, when I arrived in Hong Kong from Ethiopia. When I arrived at the airport, I was arrested by Customs and Excise officers at the gate. They found cocaine inside my hand luggage, weighing 950 grams, hidden carefully under the bottom of the luggage.
I was interrogated thoroughly many times and detained for two nights in the airport inside a small cell, which included only a single bed and an old blanket. On the third day, they sent me to the police station, where I stayed for one night again. On the fourth day, I was brought to court and sent straight to prison.
While I was detained at the airport, I felt like my life was over. I was filled with regrets, wondering whether I shouldn’t have accepted that offer. It always seemed better to stay broke and struggle than to be captive in prison and taken away from my freedom. I couldn’t sleep or eat, constantly thinking about my family. I knew they would be in a worse condition without me, as I was the only one who could work and earn money.
This all started from a few chats I had with a stranger on social media, and I had no clue what could happen to me afterward. Now I realize that these people always target their victims when they are in the worst state of their lives, and that is exactly how I was when they persuaded me into doing this.
If I could turn back time, I would have spent my days with my family, living a hard and struggling life, rather than risking everything—even though I did it for their sake.
I now feel like my whole life is ruined, knowing that I could be stuck here for more than a decade because of a single wrong decision. If I could turn back time, I would have spent my days with my family, living a hard and struggling life, rather than risking everything—even though I did it for their sake. It is still far better to stay with them without providing enough money than to vanish from their sight. I can’t imagine how my family, especially my three little kids, would be raised without a father. My heart is broken and devastated to know that this is the end and that no one can help me except God.
I hope that in the future, no one will be framed or set up like me to end up in the dark. I want to warn everyone to stay safe and alert at all times and to avoid any offers from strangers through social media. I hope this message will save more people in the future, not only from situations like mine but also from every malicious and dangerous circumstance. May God be your light on your path and grant you a good life in the future. To all the readers, please don’t forget to pray for me if you read this message, my friend.
Behind bars
It’s been four months since I was arrested last October. Some say time flies, but to me, it feels like I’ve been here for four years. Since the day I was arrested, there has never been a day without stress, agony, and regret. Every day feels like a struggle and a long ordeal, even though we don’t have much to do. The hardest part to endure is being taken away from my freedom and dignity. This is my first time in Hong Kong, and I have no friends or relatives to visit me. I feel like I’ve fallen into a pit with no end. I’m lost and hopeless, constantly wondering about my future.
Every day and night, I pray to God, asking and pleading for mercy and forgiveness for the wrong decision that led me to this ruin. I cry out to God many nights while praying, as though I might die. But God puts me back to my senses, reminding me that I have to stay strong and survive—not only for myself but for my family as well. After about a month, with the help of others, I managed to get an international call to my family, but it only lasted 10 minutes. I was told that I could make a call once a month for that same duration, which I considered good news. At least something, however small, is better than nothing.
Every night, I pray for my family, especially for my mother, who is 66 years old. I ask God to strengthen her health and prolong her life until I can make it back home. But sometimes, God’s will is hard to see and understand. After two months and one week had passed since I got here, I received a letter from back home containing the most devastating words I have ever read. The letter said that my mother had passed away a week ago from heart problems, and her body had already been buried.
I realized that I had caused her too much stress and desperation, more than she could handle.
It took a week after she died for the information to reach me, and my heart fell apart. I started blaming myself for my mother’s death, knowing that she would have been alive if I had been with her. I realized that I had caused her too much stress and desperation, more than she could handle. Not only did I have to endure the mourning and devastation of losing my mother, but I also had to bear the sadness of being unable to connect with my family through phone calls or social media. All I could do was apply for the phone call and wait for my turn. I eventually made a call to my family after three days.
The only regular way to communicate with my family is through letters, which take at least 2 to 3 weeks to receive a response. I never imagined that I would live such a life in the 21st century, where writing letters is the only way to communicate. Knowing that everyone is moving forward in life while I am living my life backward every day breaks my heart. I’ve held back tears many times, longing to see and hold my family again. How I wish I could see my mother one last time before she died! I miss kissing my wife and my three kids with all my love.
I wish God would look after my disabled brother and my family. If I could have one wish from God, it would be to turn back time to when I was with my family and had never gone anywhere. If anyone reads this message, please remember to always put God and family in your life—nothing else! Only then will you find peace.
Warning
I would like to warn all readers against the dangers of drug trafficking. These drug traffickers are everywhere in the world, so be on your guard at all times. These individuals are very persuasive and never force anyone to participate. They are always looking for drug transporters with offers of free trips to different places and a guarantee of payment after the trip. You will be given luggage that they have already filled with drugs, and you won’t notice any difference even if you check it yourself.
I urge everyone to avoid and be aware of these people and their sweet promises, as their main goal is to deceive someone into transporting drugs around the world without their consent. I, too, am a victim of this deception, and I want to prevent everyone from making this mistake again. These people are everywhere; you could receive this offer from close friends or strangers on social media. The most important thing to remember is that there is no free lunch in this world. So, to all readers, please be vigilant if someone makes such an offer in the future.
I have met many people in prison who engaged in trafficking knowingly; they knew what they were doing and did it for money. However, everyone I’ve met has expressed regret for making that one wrong decision, which completely changed the course of their lives. Not all the people I’ve met are criminals just because they are prisoners; of course, they committed crimes and offenses against the law, but they, too, have families, wives, and kids back home, just like everyone else. They did it for the sake of their families and children, hoping to provide a better life for them. The mistake was in trying to take the easy way to get money instead of spending time finding an honest job.
In pursuit of easy money, people often lose their conscience, make quick decisions, and end up with bitter results. I want to remind everyone that we live and die only once, and our lives are priceless; they are never worth risking over small or big amounts of money. We may accumulate wealth and buy a big house, but if we lose our family, then there is no point in having that house because, without family, there’s no home. If we always put our family first, we will never be driven away by the love of money. I urge everyone to value their time because once it is taken away, they will never get it back. Our time is being taken away from us now because of one foolish decision.
Now, by the grace of God, I truly understand the value and meaning of life. I’ve learned my lessons from my mistakes, and I am so grateful that I have managed to turn my life around from this situation, even though I wish it had never happened. I understand how important my family and kids are to me. God has allowed me to be with them again, and I will devote all my strength to ensure that I am always by their side and never leave again for any reason. I want to become the best version of myself for my family, as I now know that there is no world for me without them. I hope everyone feels and acts the same way. I wish everyone the best in avoiding bad influences and hope this message serves as a crucial lesson. Thank you to everyone.
