Tag: drug trafficking

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.

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My life unravelled

I was arrested on September 4, 2023 for drug possession. My life began to unravel in 2016 when I gave birth to twins, but their father went to prison shortly after. 2017 was the hardest year, as my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Between 2018 and 2019, after undergoing colon removal surgery, her condition stabilised but my ex-boyfriend got arrested again in 2019 and since then, my parents and I were jointly taking care of my children.

My family background has been difficult. My dad retired from his civil service job 15 years ago. My mom worked part-time as a restaurant waitress. Since both parents worked, my two sisters and I lived at our grandmother’s house. My elder sister took her own life in 2009 due to emotional struggles, causing deep pain to our family. My father also once attempted suicide but survived. To help support my family, I left school after Form 3, which I now regret. I believe staying in school might have kept me from getting involved with drugs.

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A mother’s broken heart

I started using drugs at the age of 13 and have been using them for 17 years. Methamphetamine, primarily. At first, I was influenced by my peers… I was curious and used them for fun. But when things got difficult at home, constant arguments and scoldings, I decided to run away and joined a group of drug users, thus becoming a drug addict.

At first, I didn’t realise the drugs were doing me any harm since I didn’t seem to have any averse reactions to them. I only saw the effect it had on others, symptoms such as sleeplessness, obsessive behaviour, hallucinations, thoughts of self-harm, and losing control of their emotions.

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Caught between the lines

I was born in 1971 in Hong Kong. I am the youngest in my family and come from a single-parent household, raised by my father. I have an older brother, and no one in my family uses drugs. I have never used drugs and have had no exposure to them since I was young.

At the age of 22, I married my first husband. We had three children together: our oldest daughter is 30 years old, a son who is 25 years old, and our youngest daughter who is 13 years old. I have always taken care of the children by myself. My ex-husband, a printer by profession, was a gambler who never provided enough for our family. I home-schooled all my children and always tried to set a good example.

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If only bad people wore a label

I have been struggling to put pen to paper. Even when I started, I kept rewriting it and it took me a long time to finish it.

I am 28 years old and was born in Hong Kong. I grew up in a broken family. My parents divorced when I was three years old, and I have an older sister and brother. My mother emigrated abroad over 20 years ago, and there are no relatives from my father’s side here. My siblings are much older than me and left home earlier on rather than endure the discordant atmosphere of our home. In addition, my father had to work outside for a long time to support the family, this meant that I was pretty much on my own during my formative years. My father is a serious and traditional person. He made it clear when I was young that I had to “leave home at 18,” so I was deprived of the opportunity to attend university at an early age, and I left home without a solid financial foundation.

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Completely blinded by cocaine addiction

I’m a 23-year-old Brazilian. I’ve always been dedicated to doing my job and to furthering my studies. I come from a simple, honest, Christian family.

When I was fifteen years old, I entered the world of drugs through the influence of false friendships and my curiosity. That’s when I started using cannabis. I confess that at first, I didn’t have much trouble, but my life turned upsideown when I started to use cocaine in 2019. Since that moment, my life has been full of pressure. I disliked my life; it was a terrible nightmare. I began working only to buy drugs. I was unable to stop myself from taking drugs, the cravings controlled me.

Many times I needed my family’s support to pay for the drugs. My mother tried to help me pay the debts for me because she was afraid that if I didn’t pay, I would get killed. My mother helped me several times, trying her best to protect me from taking drugs, but I never listened to my mom. And I made another debt afterward: my mother helped me to pay once again.

I lost most things in my life. My girlfriend left me because I had too many problems due to drugs. After that, I was terminated from my job. I didn’t have the strength to work. I was very thin and weak, my appearance was horrible, and I wouldn’t have the ability to work at all.

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Daddy, why are you behind that glass?

I come from a single-parent family. My father passed away when I was 20 years old, leaving my mother and younger sister dependent on me.

My mother is not from Hong Kong; she came to take care of us on a two-way permit. We relied on social assistance to survive. At that time, my father was suffering from stomach cancer, and my mother had to care for him every day, making our lives very difficult. This situation led me to become very rebellious, and I fell in with the wrong crowd, embarking on a path of no return.

“Just give it a try; don’t worry, you won’t get addicted.” I tried it. After that first hit, I wanted to continue, and I couldn’t stop.

Those so-called friends offered me drugs, leading me deeper into addiction. I started using methamphetamine,. I still clearly remember their words when they first encouraged me to try it: “Just give it a try; don’t worry, you won’t get addicted.” I tried it once. After that first hit, I wanted to continue, and I couldn’t stop.

In the following days, I kept using meth, but using drugs requires money. Where would my money come from? I had to steal, rob, and deceive! I would snatch phones, grab handbags, and steal money from my friends just to buy drugs. Eventually, I met some people with triad backgrounds and entered the underworld, following a boss. The drug circles I was exposed to grew larger and larger. Initially, a small amount of drugs was enough, but gradually I began to use larger quantities and a broader variety, including ketamine, cocaine, meth, and marijuana. The money I earned increased, and it became easier to obtain.

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No second-chance for second-hand businessman

I was a businessman working out of Lagos. I had opened a second-hand electronic appliances shop selling laptops, printing machines, photocopy machines, etc. I had traveled to Hong Kong many times to source these second-hand electrical appliances.

But my business faced a downturn because of the pandemic. I had to close down my shop but I owed creditors and did not have any means to settle the debts.

When I was arrested and sent to jail, I could not sleep and I kept on asking myself: How could I have been so stupid as to turn to swallowing drugs for trafficking knowing very well it is illegal and doing so came at great risk?

My creditor told me I could pay back my loan and also earn some money if I agreed to deliver goods to Hong Kong for his Argentine friend. I was told his friend could pay my debts and in addition, US$2,000 if I agreed to deliver drugs to Hong Kong. Continue reading No second-chance for second-hand businessman

Don’t be next

Dear someone, open your eyes and ears and say no to being the next victim of drug trafficking or abuse.

I reach out to you with love and care. I don’t know you, and I don’t wish to meet you under such circumstances. He who has an ear will listen, and my words will be like a seed falling on fertile soil. When life is falling apart, nothing seems easy, and Plan A and B aren’t working, questions flood your mind. When happiness distances itself, and most of your peers are succeeding while you feel left out, never agree to drugs, whether it’s abuse or trafficking.

Saying NO is the path to freedom. There are people out there, like hyenas and scavengers, looking for someone like you to prey on. A life of drugs always ends behind bars.

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The life of a young woman behind bars

No one wishes to live behind bars. No matter how long you spend here, being away from the world still hurts. Mornings are full of sadness and sorrow. At home, morning routines depend on your mood; here, every minute of the day and my tasks are already planned for me. There is a fixed time for waking up, refreshing, and having breakfast.

Having all meals of the day hurts more, not knowing if my family had even a single meal, especially my son.

Checking on their well-being once a month is always emotional. Hearing their voices and sensing the sadness in their tone, I immediately break down. Thinking that my son will grow up without a mother next to him, the way I did, is painful. Losing a parent is a hard experience that an innocent child should never endure. Now that I’m here for only God knows how long, I feel I have failed him as a parent. I will never be able to turn back time; no amount of money is worth the time passed.

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Five little angels

I’m a 25-year-old Brazilian with five children, currently living through a challenging time. I arrived in Hong Kong on May 8, 2023, and was immediately arrested. I’ve now been in prison for a year, spending holidays and family birthdays in this alien environment. Let me share a bit of my backstory.

I was born in Diadema, São Paulo, a place I scarcely know. At the age of four, my parents separated due to my father’s infidelities. Shortly after, my paternal grandparents moved to the countryside, and my mother distanced herself from me, blaming me for their separation. My father disappeared. Consequently, I moved in with my grandparents in the countryside.

As a child, I cried myself sick, yearning for the love of those who were supposed to care for me from my first breath.

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Will I ever see my children again?

I’m a 29-year-old male from Uganda, born in the city of Iganga. I come from a modest Muslim family, one of ten children. Growing up was challenging due to our limited resources. Our parents struggled to provide for our basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, and medical care, a problem further compounded by the government’s inability to assist.

Despite these hardships, I attended school, though I often lacked the funds for school fees, books, and other materials. When I was old enough to work, a friend offered me a job opportunity. I didn’t think twice before accepting, eager to earn money and improve my situation.

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Drug courier’s addiction spirals out of control

Allow me to introduce myself. I was arrested on October 25, 2022, and have been in custody for 17 months. I face two charges of trafficking dangerous drugs on two separate occasions. I pleaded guilty in November and will be sentenced on June 27, 2024.

To be candid, my history with drug abuse only began around 2020. Compared to others who have been using drugs for 10 years or more, I’m relatively new to this. Regrettably, during the most difficult period of my life, my consumption may have been higher than others because I had easy access to large quantities of drugs as a wholesaler in the drug supply chain. There was a time when I consumed over 30g of cocaine in a single day, and periods when I didn’t return home, leaving behind my wife and our three-year-old daughter.

Looking back, I deeply regret my actions.

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Gambled freedom for gambling debt

I was arrested for drug trafficking, a case involving three types of drugs. Although I’m not a drug user, you might ask, why did I get involved in this?

Previously, I worked at a finance company, answering phone calls. The job provided decent commissions, but it led to a gambling addiction. Eventually, I lost all my money and accumulated significant gambling debts. My family, using all their savings, helped me pay off these debts and loans.

My 72-year-old father is retired, dealing with a chronic illness that requires medication and regular check-ups. My mother, a 68-year-old housewife, works part-time as a cleaner. My older brother is a restaurant chef, and my sister works as a salesperson at a clothing store. We’re not wealthy, and while my family didn’t rush me to repay them, my guilt pushed me down the wrong path.

Eventually, I lost all my money and accumulated significant gambling debts. My family, using all their savings, helped me pay off these debts and loans.

A friend of a colleague heard about my desperate need for money – the rest, as they say, is history.

I’ve been in remand for about two and a half years for this first offense. I’ve noticed that many here have lost friends, family, jobs, and most importantly, their health due to drug addiction. Hence, I encourage them to quit drugs when they’re released, and I intend to spread this message when I’m released as well.

Note: This story was originally written in Chinese. It has been translated and edited to improve legibility. Switch language to read the original. 

Who will care for my father now?

I’m thankful for the opportunity to share the suffering I’m currently facing. This is about my case and story.

My mother committed suicide in 2012 when I was 10 years old, and since then my father began having emotional problems. Previous to that, my father had a severe accident at work that left him disabled. This limited his mobility, and the household expenses became a huge burden to him. I felt immense pressure and felt I needed to grow up quickly to start working and help support the family.

So, when I was 16 years old, I dropped out of school, only completing up to Form 4. I’d been working as a kitchen assistant ever since, trying to earn money to contribute to my disabled father’s care. This has been my daily routine.

When I was 21 years old, I met a friend at a bar. He asked me to help deliver an item to someone, and that he would cover my travel expenses for the favor. At first, I refused because he wouldn’t tell me what the item was. But given my family’s situation, with a disabled father to support, and the financial temptation, I reluctantly agreed. I didn’t know it was drugs until the night of September 7, 2023, when I received the item from a man. I had no intention of using the drugs myself. However, I was immediately arrested that same night.

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