Month: November 2025

The cigarette that burned down my life

A Personal Warning

Stay Clear of Crime and Traffickers

My name is KTB, and I want to share my story with you, not just to tell you what happened to me, but to serve as a warning to help you avoid the same fate. I made a series of bad choices, believing in quick money and trusting the wrong people, and now I am paying a heavy price. I hope my experience can help you think twice before walking down a similar path.

The Beginning: A Chance Encounter that Changed Everything

It all started around Christmas time in 2022. I was in Lan Kwai Fong, enjoying a night out when I met a guy we’ll call “X.” Our first interaction was simple as I asked for a cigarette, and that small gesture led to a conversation. We talked about tattoos, clothes, and shared common interests. X was easy to talk to, and he gave me the feeling of an older brother figure, someone who understood life and seemed to have experience. We exchanged phone numbers, and after that night, we occasionally kept in touch.

At first, our conversations were casual. X told me he worked in high-end liquor sales selling spirits and whisky, dealing with wealthy clients, fancy dinners, and luxury lifestyles. He made it sound so glamorous, and I thought that maybe if I stuck with him, I could learn something new or even find a job that would make me proud. I was curious, eager to try something different, and naïve enough to believe I could learn from him.

Continue reading The cigarette that burned down my life

Freedom, how wonderful

The moment you become an inmate, you begin to recognize your mistakes and cherish your past life.

You realize that before committing any act, you need to think 150 times. “Is this necessary?”

You realize that there is no such thing as a hopeless situation. There is only one truly hopeless situation—when they are screwing the lid shut on your coffin. Everything else is SOLVABLE.

If you think your life is terrible—evaluate your surroundings. Tell me who your friend is, and I will tell you who you are.

Start reading. Change your worldview. Write down your thoughts. Learn new foreign languages for yourself. Forget the phrase “no time.” Forget it! There is plenty of time; you just don’t notice it or you waste it on nonsense. Establish a routine. Set an alarm with a terrible melody so you have to jump out of bed and turn it off immediately. Then you will get used to waking up at the same time.

Continue reading Freedom, how wonderful

The heavy burden of light decisions – PART 2

This is a second letter from a previous post

Three months have passed since my arrest, along with my beloved partner.

We are from Ukraine, and our family is there, where the war has been ongoing for over two years. I worry every day about my family, and about my little son. You never know which home a rocket will strike.

I find myself behind bars, without internet, a phone, or contact with my relatives.

I don’t know how to hold a pen in my hands.

I feel terrible when I see news about my country, but I cannot call my mother to find out if everything is okay. I was very worried about how my mother’s heart would react when she learned that her daughter and son-in-law were deprived of freedom due to their own foolishness. I am scared that something might happen to them and I won’t find out.

Or that I will find out, but too late.

Continue reading The heavy burden of light decisions – PART 2

The heavy burden of light decisions – PART 1

In 2019, we moved to Poland for work because we couldn’t find employment in our small town in the Odesa region of Ukraine. Our initial six-month visa expired just as the coronavirus pandemic began, but we were given special documents that allowed us to stay. We later applied for the Karta Pobytu (residence permit).

On February 22, 2022, we received our residence cards and planned a trip home to see our family, especially our son. Two days later, February 24, 2022, the war in Ukraine began.

Our family was strongly against us returning due to the Russian invasion. My mother assured us they were safe and our town was protected. We decided to stay and work, believing the war wouldn’t reach them. We mainly worked in large warehouses and factories. Our income covered rent, food, and utilities, and we managed to send some money home, though not as often as we wished.

Our major mistake was not knowing how to save. Whenever life brought a problem—a sudden toothache, a broken car, delayed wages, or reduced work hours—we ran into financial trouble. Over four years in Poland, we accumulated significant debt. We managed to make payments, but the burden was heavy. Every winter brought problems, preventing us from celebrating my December birthday, the New Year, and even my partner’s birthday. We realized that money was the solution to all our issues.

Continue reading The heavy burden of light decisions – PART 1

Sweet invitation from a bitter destiny

Hello, I am 30 years old, from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Through this letter, I want to share the way I was recruited.

I was in the center of my city after visiting a client when a man approached me. He complimented me and started a conversation. He asked about my life—my children, my work. I told him I used to sell meals but stopped, and that I also worked as a prostitute.

He asked how much I would charge. I said 150 reais for one hour. Then he said, “I have a better job for you, where you’ll earn much more.”

At first I thought it would be something to do with prostitution, but I was wrong. He said it was easy and that everything would be alright; I just had to do everything he told me to do.

He offered me $5,000 USD—about 30,000 reais—to carry drugs on a trip.

Desperate for money to restart my business, furnish my daughter’s room, and help my mother pay debts, I accepted. He took my information and told me to bring my passport the next day.

The following day, he gave me an envelope with travel documents and 300 reais. He warned me not to fail, saying my family would be at risk. I promised I wouldn’t.

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A reckless game

I am 21 this year. I was born in mainland China and came to Hong Kong with my mother in 2018, when I started Form 1. Due to cultural differences and being a transfer student, I struggled academically and socially. With my mother working long hours, I spent my time at billiard halls and game centers. I dropped out after two months and began hanging out with friends I met outside school.

I was skilled at billiards and spent most of my time at the hall, where I met older friends who treated me well. My daily expenses came from the HK$100 my mother left me each morning before her 12-hour cleaning shifts. Before leaving each day, she would always tell me, “If you can’t study well, then just find a proper job. Don’t keep wandering outside with bad people who’ll lead you astray!” But I treated those words like noise in the background, thinking, “How could I possibly run into bad people?”

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Time is priceless

I have been imprisoned in a correctional facility after being arrested in December 2022 for the offence of trafficking dangerous drugs.

During this time, I happened to learn about this anti-drug campaign and realized that it could help warn others not to get involved in drug trafficking or suffer its consequences like me. That is why I chose to participate in this meaningful program.

When I was 13 years old and had just entered my first year of secondary school, I came into contact with drugs because of bad company. At first, I only used them occasionally, but because of the drugs I later lost interest in studying and became rebellious. At 18, I was sent to a rehabilitation center for drug possession, and since then, I have been in and out of prison countless times. I had no idea how or why my life had become such a mess. I couldn’t escape the temptation of drugs, and I have already lost so much because of them.

Continue reading Time is priceless