Freedom is just a distant memory

I am writing to you from a place where “freedom is just a distant memory.” I’ve lost count of the days, weeks, months, and years that have passed since I was taken away from my loved ones in South Africa.

I was promised a job opportunity in Brazil, and now I’m paying the price. I’m trapped in a prison, thousands of miles away from my family and loved ones in Hong Kong. My children are growing up without me, and my fiancée is shouldering the burden of caring for them alone.

I’m allowed only one phone call a month for ten minutes and can only communicate through letters. I’ve missed countless milestones, birthdays, and special moments. The pain of being separated from my loved ones, and knowing that I will not be able to see them for years—and if I see them and no one has passed away in the time I’m away in prison—is unbearable all the time.

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An unwitting drug courier

I am a 29-year-old married woman with a 9-year-old daughter. In 2020, I moved to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper, hoping to improve my family’s financial situation. Unfortunately, while here, I encountered serious financial problems.

A trusted friend borrowed my work contract and passport to use as loan collateral. When this friend disappeared, I was left responsible for the substantial debt. Since my documentation was used as collateral, I had no choice but to assume responsibility for repaying everything.

My employer eventually discovered my financial troubles when the bank sent a late payment notice to their address. This led to my termination. Finding a new employer proved extremely difficult due to the lengthy process, so I resorted to working illegally as a restaurant cleaner or dishwasher. However, these jobs paid too little to cover both my debt payments and living expenses.

While searching for additional income, I met a 35-year-old Indonesian who seemed helpful, initially offering me simple jobs collecting packages from post offices and other locations. When I confided  about my debt problems, my friend offered to help clear my debts. Desperate for assistance, I accepted the offer without properly considering the risks involved in this arrangement.

Instead of receiving what was promised, I ended up with regret. I am detained on charges of trafficking dangerous drugs.

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‘Gangster granny’ jailed for leading family gang dealing drugs worth £80m

A family-run organised crime group, orchestrated by a 65-year-old described by police as a “gangster granny”, has been sentenced for dealing drugs with a street value of £80m across the UK.

Deborah Mason, who had the moniker “Queen Bee”, and seven other members of the gang, were sentenced at Woolwich crown court in London on Friday for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months.

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The widening chasm

Allow me to share my story about how I got involved in dangerous drugs trafficking to Hong Kong.

I come from a family of four: my mother, father, younger sister, and me. In 2010, I lost my mother to a pulmonary disease, followed by my grandmother shortly after. I began to experience heartaches, sleepless nights, anxiety, and a feeling of emptiness. I went to the doctor, describing my symptoms, and was told I might have a brain tumor. After several tests, the doctor confirmed I was physically healthy but emotionally under extreme stress. I am still on medication for depression.

Determined to heal, I challenged myself to complete my college education while raising two children alone and working full-time. I developed an overwhelming urge to prove something to myself. Despite every reason to quit—lack of sleep, money, and resources—I earned my college degree. My plans were to graduate and find a good job, but life didn’t go as I hoped.

I felt sad yet empowered, knowing I had the fortitude to press on, especially for my daughter. I remember reading her congratulatory card: “Someday I hope to make you as proud of me as I am proud of you.” I was devastated, knowing my daughter needed a substantial amount of money to join high school.

“Someday I hope to make you as proud of me as I am proud of you.”

Continue reading The widening chasm

A mother’s bitter tears

I am 44 years old and I have two children. I come from Benin.

I worked on a project for the Ministry of Health in my country as an Executive Assistant. I was arrested at Hong Kong airport on the morning of December 9, 2023 for drug trafficking. Here is my story:

I did not have an easy childhood. I come from a numerous family, with several children from different fathers. We are ten children and I am the eighth child. We grew up in very precarious conditions, our mother, having experienced several divorces, required us to help her every Saturday and Sunday, either by going to the fields to gather firewood or by selling small crops to bring money home for our breakfast and other needs until we finished primary school.

Once we entered secondary school, our mother could no longer support our educational expenses. Many of my older siblings had already dropped out of school. Most of my older sisters got married, while my older brothers were either in apprenticeships or had already finished their education. I loved studying, so if I were to continue secondary school, it would have to be by my own means.

I started a small business selling bottled water and sometimes boiled peanuts during holidays and weekends. This business, which usually lasted 3 to 4 months during school holidays, allowed me to save enough money for my tuition, supplies, and a little extra for breakfast.

I managed to get by until my first year of high school, when I met a man whom I considered to be well-off. After a while, this man proposed marriage. Saying no to this proposal would imply that I did not care for my younger sister and brother, who were almost neglected by our mother due to her financial struggles. Agreeing to this proposal meant marrying an older man, almost like a father figure, and also someone who was often away on business. My mother pressured me into saying yes.

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What gold can’t buy

I am a Guyanese national born in 1967. As a father of six children—four girls and two boys—I worked hard in construction to support my family. But getting work was getting more and more difficult.

So, I started gold mining for about ten years. With some of the money saved I bought a 4-inch dredge and employed two guys to work with me. Everything changed on February 19, 2015. It was a Thursday evening when I came out of the gold field with my production. Four guys attacked me. I tried to fight back, but one of them stabbed me in the back, and they took away all my production, about 125 ounces of gold.

I spent six months in the hospital and became wheelchair-bound.

…I was wearing diapers and using a catheter. With no parents alive and no inheritance, I resorted to begging on streets to support myself and my children.

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Piling up onto their burden

I come from Malaysia and am currently in Hong Kong’s Stanley Prison.

I worked in furniture renovation in Malaysia. In 2022, the market turned bad and I was often unemployed. My family’s financial burdens were heavy—my elderly parents, my children, and the whole family depended on me. The weight on my shoulders was enormous.

Then, in 2023, I met an old classmate. At that time, I saw that his life was going well—he had bought a house and a car. Moreover, seeing my difficult situation, he was generous and lent me money to help me through my hardships. Gradually, one day I asked him what he was doing to be doing so well. Through his introduction, I ended up on this irreversible path.

I thought about my elderly parents, my children, and my own difficulties. He spoke so casually about it, and my mind was filled with greed!

At first, he asked me to carry items abroad, but I was scared and unwilling. Later, he told me I didn’t have to carry anything anymore; instead, he asked me to come to Hong Kong to receive goods for him at a hotel.

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Hard to build, easy to crumble

Everyone makes mistakes at some point in their lives. As a child, when I made a mistake, I would be scolded or punished by my parents or teachers, but in the end, I would all be forgiven. Yet, not all mistakes can be brushed aside, especially when one breaks the law. Such mistakes not only bring legal consequences but also destroy one’s future. I am an example of this life lesson…

I am 28 years old, and I have been in custody for nearly a year now. I was born in Shenzhen (China) and came to live in Hong Kong with my parents when I was 8 years old. Growing up, I was not particularly mischievous; my family always thought I was a sensible person, particularly because I started working part-time since the age of 15 to help with expenses.

But I did have a rebellious moment. Born into a grassroots family and raised in a public housing estate, it was inevitable that I would cross paths with  gangs and troublemakers…

When I was studying in Secondary One, I became acquainted with some friends who suggested me to “follow a gang leader.” to deal with the bullying I was suffering. I wanted others to know that I was not someone to be abused.

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From miracle to ruin

This is the story of a heartbroken mother who suffers without her children.

I am a 34 year old Zimbabwean in a Hong Kong prison. I have 3 children. I separated from my husband in 2019.

I was pregnant with my third child when I left my husband and moved to Harare (capital of Zimbabwe) in February 2020. I left my eldest son under the care of my parents back in my village.

I started a second-hand clothes trade business but then the Covid pandemic hit and that’s when things started to become very difficult. I was only managing to earn a small amount of money at that time, so I started to look for a job as a domestic helper, but I couldn’t find because I was pregnant. It was hard for me to get any other job as I didn’t complete my education. My parents didn’t have enough money to pay for my school fees.

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At the bottom of the social ladder

How I got involved in drug trafficking

Let’s start with my family background. Not long after my mother became pregnant with me, and due to the pressing need for money, my father was lured by a friend into committing fraud overseas and consequently sent to prison for a while.

After he came back my parents divorced. I ended up living with my grandmother, my father, and his girlfriend in a cramped public housing unit until my father went to work abroad. That was around the time when I was in primary school. He left me to live with my grandma ever since.

My family has only got elementary education, thus they couldn’t provide me with a nice growing environment. Most of the people I met were of low social status and the same level of education as I had.

I dropped out of high school, earning a living as a manual worker. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I became a part-time logistics worker for a supermarket. I worked in the daytime and went to a night school in the evening. My employer never paid me on time. I didn’t like it but it was hard to find another job at that moment. Coincidentally, one of my friends said he got a job for me. All I knew about the job was that I needed to deliver goods, something I excelled at because it didn’t require much mental effort. Besides, I thought it would be a good workout. I thought I would be doing the same as my existing job, just that I could have a better boss. So I accepted it without hesitation. Continue reading At the bottom of the social ladder

No security with drugs

I was imprisoned for drug trafficking and have now been in a correctional facility for 17 months, awaiting sentencing by the High Court.

Let me share my background. I have been working in a restaurant since I graduated from high school. Around the year 2020, I started to get into debt, my debts began to increase, and due to the impact of the pandemic, my income decreased. Unable to find a job, I had to borrow to repay old debts.

In March 2020, I found an extra job as a night-shift security guard, so I started working two jobs. My work at the restaurant began around 10 am until 10 pm, then I would go home to get ready to report to the security room. I worked all night until 7 am before going home for a nap. Sometimes, due to transportation issues, I couldn’t even go home and had to go directly from the security room to the restaurant to rest after my shift. I was only sleeping 3-4 hours a day.

This situation continued until the moment I was arrested, and I was supposed to work in the security room that night. Over the past year or so, my mental state deteriorated; I was severely sleep-deprived and tired. When I was on vacation, I would drink. Continue reading No security with drugs

Wheels of misfortune

With this letter, I want to be an example for people out there. Not to be misled or oppressed by drug people. They will always tell you that it’s an easy job, don’t believe it. This is my story and truth.

I came to Hong Kong to smuggle drugs for someone. They told me it was an easy job. Nothing could be further from the truth. They had hidden the drugs in a wheelchair where you couldn’t see them. When I arrived at Hong Kong airport, the police discovered the wheelchair and found the drugs. So people, no matter how they hide the drugs, the police will find them. Here in Hong Kong, if you get involved with drug gangs, you’ll go to jail for a long time.

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Caught in the snare

I’m a 31-year-old man from Uganda. I had difficulties getting a job after obtaining my bachelor’s degree in business administration. I finally got a job as a salesman through my father, a branch manager at a store that sold tires. I held this job for more than five years.

It was during that time that I started my own family and all was well until I got a call from my aunt one evening telling me my mom had been admitted to hospital after collapsing during a community-saving meeting. She was diagnosed with carcinoma, and the only fair news was that it was still at an early stage and could be stopped from spreading to other parts of her body. The doctor informed us that my mother was experiencing heart failure. That’s why she had collapsed. I knew that very day that this was a turning point in all of our lives.

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A victim in the crosshairs

I am 22 years old and I am writing this letter so that you don’t accept the deals traffickers are giving me.

Before coming to Hong Kong, my situation was always complicated because I had difficulty finding work, as the pandemic had severely affected the job market.

I worked selling clothes in the mornings and as a waitress in pizzerias to help my father, who suffered from heart problems and needed urgent surgery. What I earned wasn’t enough to pay for medical appointments, tests, or medications. I had to drop out of school to help with the living expenses.

.…every time I called I heard my dad crying and saying he didn’t want to die.

I worked from the age of 14 to support my education and help my father, since we only had each other. Over time, the treatments weren’t working, and he was hospitalized several times. I had to figure out what to do to keep my job, take care of my father, and get money for his medical expenses. We had withdrawn money from the bank to pay off our debts. I started working double shifts at night, working overtime and going to work in the mornings, doing housework, and looking for any other job to earn more, even though it meant not being able to rest or spend time with my father, whose health was deteriorating as the months went by.

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A business of the worst kind

I am a citizen of Namibia, born in 1974. What is happening to me in my life is very painful, and I find myself in a difficult situation. Problems often come at the same time in our lives, and I am facing significant challenges.

When my firstborn finished grade 12, the next step was to attend the University of Namibia. As his father, I wanted to pay for his education, but I didn’t have the money at that time. I called my son and promised him that I would find a way to support him next year.

One day, while I was traveling to Angola, I received a phone call from a friend at the border between Namibia and Angola. He said he was looking for me and asked me to call him back when I returned because he had something to discuss. I agreed.

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