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.
The Journey
I traveled to São Paulo, where another man met me at an address. He locked me in an apartment for three days, barely letting me use my phone.
On the day of my trip, he told me I would carry cocaine—in my stomach. I was horrified but remembered the threat to my family. I spent over ten hours swallowing capsules, trying not to vomit, my throat burning.
He gave me papers, 700 USD, and instructions. When I arrived in Hong Kong, I was heading to the exit when customs stopped me. During a body search, they found a condom hidden in my vagina. I was handcuffed immediately.
I spent five days in the hospital expelling the drugs, one night at the police station, then 27 days in a maximum security institution before being transferred to a correctional facility.
Now I’ve been in custody for three months, far from my children, my family, my country. Some days the longing and despair are unbearable, and the tears fall.
My advice: do not be fooled by promises of easy money. You risk your life—a capsule can burst and kill you in minutes. You lose your freedom, your family, years of your life. Say NO to drug trafficking. Value your life, your family, and your freedom.
Reflect on this. Thank you.
Note: This letter was translated and edited from the original in Portuguese. Switch language to read the original version.