Category: Letters

Packaged lies

I am a single mother of three. Before becoming a single parent, I was a homemaker, caring for my children. However, my husband had an affair and left us with no regard for our well-being. The emotional trauma and financial hardship at that time set me on this irreversible journey.

In a state of despair and helplessness, struggling to pay rent, electricity bills, and even afford meals for my children, a ‘friend’ I met on social media introduced me to a packaging job. This job, offering an attractive daily wage of HK$1,000 (~USD128), immediate cash payments, and no experience required, seemed promising. I reached out to the contact person for more information.

At that time, I was in desperate need of money, so it seemed like the perfect solution. Two days later, he brought $10,000 in cash to my home and discussed further details.

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Into the deep pit

I am 32 years old. I was arrested for drug trafficking and I am currently on remand. I want to use this opportunity to share my story as a warning to young people about the dangers of drugs and the importance of cherishing their loved ones.

I used to be a construction worker, earning about HKD 20,000 per month. Both my parents suffer from health issues; my father is unemployed due to heart problems, and my mother is physically disabled and unable to work. Additionally, I used to care for my niece because my sister was constantly working. My sister works in sales. However, her monthly income is modest and she also has to finance her daughter’s education.

My romantic relationship also added to my financial burden. The physical strain of my job began to impact my health. I developed a protruding disc in my spine, which caused significant difficulties in my work.

Sleep eluded me. When I did manage to doze off, nightmares would jolt me awake. By the time I woke up, dawn had already broken. This pattern continues to this day.

Continue reading Into the deep pit

Ignorant, but not innocent

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.

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A life utterly destroyed by drugs

Hello everyone, I’m sharing my story to urge you and your loved ones to steer clear of drugs. I’ve been in prison for two years on charges of dangerous drugs trafficking, specifically over 800+ grams. The sentence for this charge ranges from 20 to 23 years. That’s what I’m facing.

I am a 45-year-old man with a 73-year-old mother who suffers from chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes. I also have a 19-year-old son who is still in school. We lived together renting a place for HK$6,000 a month. I studied in Australia until the age of 13 but had to abandon my studies in year 11 due to my parents’ financial difficulties. I got married at 21, had my son at 26, and by 27, I was divorced and had custody of my son. It wasn’t easy being a single parent, but my mother was always there to help.

…But when she left me, taking most of my money, I was devastated. I turned to alcohol and eventually tried ICE, a drug a work friend suggested. This marked the downturn of my life. I treated my mother poorly, moved into an industrial building with my son, and squandered money on drugs.

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Will I ever see my girl again?

I resided with my father, stepmother, and stepbrother. Upon completing ninth grade, I immediately joined the workforce. In 2015, I got married and moved out, renting a place with my then-husband.

I became a full-time housewife after the birth of our daughter, and to supplement our income, I started an online shop selling cosmetics and baby products.

Sadly, my marriage was riddled with conflict, and in 2018 my husband took our daughter and severed all contact with me, my family, and my friends. He subsequently filed for divorce unilaterally and gained custody of our girl.

Continue reading Will I ever see my girl again?

When your life is past due

I am a 29 years old woman from South Africa. In 2022 I was arrested at the Hong Kong International Airport for trafficking dangerous drug. I am a single mother of two boys, aged 11 and 9 years old.

Before my arrest, I had been struggling to support my sons financially. In 2020 I enrolled in a college for a 3-year course. Once admitted I was offered a bursary that only covered my fees, but in order to get it, I needed to achieve a certain percentage in my exams. Unfortunately I struggled to maintain the grades, and in 2022 my performance dropped. The bursary stopped paying for my fees, but I continued studying without paying and I managed to qualify to write my final-year exams.

Being arrested is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I am emotionally drained, I just live because there is nothing else to do.

Continue reading When your life is past due

My life in numbers

Six

I grew up in foster care from a young age under the Social Welfare Department. I lived in a total of six foster homes from the age of 2 to 12. Let me start with the first one. I lived there for four years, from the age of 2 to 6. Because I was very young at the time, I considered them my family – my father, mother, and brother. I didn’t know my biological parents then and thought that this was my very own family. However, that was not the reality. When I entered first grade, someone came to my home and took me to court for a family progress hearing. It was the first time I saw a man claiming to be my biological father. However, I was too young to understand anything, so I didn’t say anything to him. After that court hearing, the person who asked me to go to court came again and took me to another home, where I met a new family. After that, I never saw my original father and mother again. I knew I wouldn’t see them anymore.

Continue reading My life in numbers

Living in anguish far from home

I am now in detention and I want to share my story of how I got tricked into trafficking cocaine into Hong Kong on 25th October 2022. That was the day I got arrested at the Hong Kong International Airport upon arriving.I am a 29-year-old mother of two. In 2020, I got a call from my ex-husband because things could not work out between us. We had separated in 2016 when I had just gotten pregnant with our second child. I had to relocate to a different town because a lot had happened to me. I needed space. I had left home by then, my grandparents who raised me didn’t agree with me having a baby. They were scared that with the way I was maybe I would go dump the child in the street. So I left them and went to my childhood friend who was willing to take me in. We started living happily. We found work as sales agents at one of the most popular insurance companies in my country because before I could separate from my ex-husband I was already selling insurance.

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High risk, formidable danger

I was arrested in Sham Shui Po on December 13, 2022, for trafficking dangerous drugs. Before that, I worked as a truck driver, putting in long hours of 15 to 17 per day to earn a monthly income of around HK$30,000. I had financial responsibilities, including supporting my retired parents and covering various expenses. Life was challenging.

In April of that year, my father’s health took a sudden turn for the worse. He required frequent hospital visits. By June, he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and stage IV lung cancer. As someone with a background in insurance, I realized the significant expenses we would face.

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For my baby boy’s sake

My parents divorced when I was three years old, and I lived with my father, grandmother and my two brothers, who are about ten years older than me. My father worked diligently each day to provide for us, often leaving early in the morning and returning late at night. Consequently, the responsibility of my care fell on my grandmother with the help of my brothers.

I should have been grateful that I had three meals a day and a roof over my head. Why should I expect my father and grandmother to pay attention to my emotional needs?

I only reached elementary school level of education as my family couldn’t provide a suitable environment for my learning. Everyone only focused on making ends meet. To ease the financial strain on our family, I desired to start working early. This led to a loss of interest in studying, as I perceived earning money to be more valuable.

Continue reading For my baby boy’s sake

How can I stitch back my life?

I am a mother of two boys. I had a lovely family, my sons’ upbringing has been one rooted in love, care, and strong family values. 

During my own childhood, I was fortunate to grow up in a supportive environment with both my mother and father.

As the eldest child in a working-class family on the Mainland, I faced challenges early on. At the age of fifteen, I moved to Guangdong to work in a handbag factory. I worked diligently to support my family. When I was seventeen, I was raped by the boss. As a young and inexperienced girl, I found myself unsure of what to do next. Eventually, I made the decision to leave the factory and seek assistance from my paternal uncle, who unfortunately struggled with drug addiction.

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Whatever my future holds

I am grateful to the Lord for comforting me in challenging situations.

I was extremely worried when my boyfriend didn’t come to see me. He is the man I love, and I know his temperament very well. When he can’t win an argument he becomes irritable, and I’m afraid my situation will affect him. Fortunately he has had support throughout this difficult time, and that brings me much relief.

I have now pleaded guilty, and I hope that the people who threatened me will release their grip and not harm my boyfriend and our children. Even now, I am still very distressed. I don’t know the extent of the harm these people can cause to my loved ones, and I don’t know if they are safe. I still feel lost and helpless. I dare not express my thoughts to anyone, including to my boyfriend. All I can do is pray and hope that the Lord’s presence will keep them healthy and safe.

Continue reading Whatever my future holds

Reflections in the stillness of the night

I was arrested for drug trafficking when I was 19 and will turn 21 on September 1st. One day after my birthday, I will be transferred to another detention center to continue my sentence. On October 6th 2023, I will be sentenced in the district court.

While in custody, I have had many conversations with spiritual counselors and received love and support from my family. I have come to realize and admit my mistakes. I pray to God, asking for forgiveness for my sins. During this time, I have promised myself that once I complete my sentence, I will be a good son to my family and make positive contributions to society.

I want to share my experience as a warning to young people who are still struggling in society. I hope they don’t choose a life of crime like I did.

Continue reading Reflections in the stillness of the night

How drugs destroyed my body and soul

I have been arrested for drug trafficking and drug possession. I am 35 years old and have been using drugs since I was 15. I was introduced to drugs by my boyfriend at that time. We primarily consumed drugs at discos. I was influenced by my boyfriend and other friends, and I got involved out of curiosity, a desire for excitement, and peer pressure. At that time, I thought drugs were fashionable.

I lived with my parents and my older sister. After finishing secondary school, I lived a carefree lifestyle. At 19, I committed my first drug possession offence and received a two-week probation sentence. This incident led my mother to monitor me closely. Unfortunately, I then committed another drug possession offense, which resulted in my sentencing to a drug rehabilitation center.

During my time in the rehabilitation centre, I met more drug addicts like myself. Over the years, I was in and out of the rehabilitation centre several times. Initially, I consumed ketamine, but my health deteriorated and I suffered greatly from its side effects. I didn’t want to continue living like that.

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From remitting to on remand

After the 2019 social unrest and gradual calmness following the extradition bill controversy in Hong Kong, my friend and I opened a currency exchange store around November of the same year. Our main business was currency exchange and remittance services. However, due to the time required for the customs financial license application, we were unable to start operating the business just yet. We had already paid $24,000 for store handover fees, $36,000 for a one-time deposit, and monthly rent of $18,000. We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in about six months.

As one wave subsided, another one rose in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic spread and the government implemented work-from-home measures for its departments. The approval for the customs financial license was further delayed, and we became very anxious.

With only expenses and no income, I looked for a way to raise some quick capital. I got introduced to a drug dealer through a former colleague. Continue reading From remitting to on remand