The incident occurred in April 2024.
I was in debt to the bank for about 200,000 HKD due to accumulated medical expenses for my mother-in-law cancer treatment. At the time, I had a quarrel with my wife and she asked for a divorce. I was feeling extremely down. Suddenly, I received a phone call offering a free trip including airfare and hotel to Thailand. Desperate for any form of escape, I accepted the offer, failing to recognize it as the precise moment I was targeted for exploitation.
During my time in Thailand, a man handed me two suitcases, stating they contained cannabis products and asked me to bring them back to Hong Kong. At that moment, I said, “I don’t want to bring it,” but he said he knew my home address and threatened me. He also kept watching me all the way on the plane until our arrival at Hong Kong International Airport.
On that day, April 28, 2024, while clearing customs at Hong Kong International Airport, we were arrested by Customs. I was 46 years old at the time.
During my remand I met Fr. John and was shared two Bible books. Inspired by Christ, I now read the Bible every day. I am now 48 years old and have been in remand for almost 20 months in prison.
I am guilty to the offence of trafficking in dangerous drugs (20kg of cannabis buds). I have proactively cooperated with the work of Customs officers and the Department of Justice prosecutors. I have stepped forward to become a witness to testify against a defendant in the same case and his accomplices, to prevent others from being victimized.
I have deeply reflected and know my wrongdoing. I hope the judge will give me a chance to turn over a new leaf and start anew.
Before this case, I had been a law-abiding citizen my whole life with no criminal record. My father passed away many years ago, and my mother is 75 years old. She suffers from heart disease, a thyroid condition, and has undergone two major surgeries. She requires long-term monthly follow-up treatments at a public hospital. She desperately needs me by her side. Furthermore, my marriage has broken down, and I need to take care of my two children (a 12-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son). I am the family’s financial pillar and need to support my mother and my two children.
I am kind-hearted, responsible, and enjoy helping those around me. I am filial to my parents, care for my elders, look after my family, and have always accompanied my mother to her medical appointments. I previously worked at a law firm for 18 years, where my performance was consistently good, and I was well-liked by colleagues and clients. I am also a keen charity supporter. Besides donating blood to the Red Cross every 2 months, I am also a registered organ donor, and I regularly donate to charitable organizations in Hong Kong (including Doctors Without Borders, World Vision, Orbis, and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals).
Because I was taken advantage of by criminals and went astray, I now express my deepest remorse. My heart is filled with guilt, self-blame, and shame.
During my days in prison, I have lost my freedom and living in this extremely undesirable environment has brought me endless sorrow. Throughout my remand, my conduct has been good. I have used my knowledge to help fellow inmates and am well-liked by them. I am also willing to share my own experience with inmates to let them know the harm and cost of drugs. I will further spread the great love of the Lord Jesus Christ to my fellow inmates, hoping they can reform and be guided toward goodness!
Upon my release, I want to spread the message of the Gospel to the public. I am even more willing to use my personal experience to share with everyone my experience of being exploited by criminals to engage in illegal activities, hoping to reduce the incidence of related crimes through this advocacy. I guarantee that there is no risk of re-offending in the future. I will be a cautious person and do more charitable and public welfare activities to give back to society.
Note: This letter was translated and edited from the original in Chinese. Switch language to read the original version.
