Tag: Hong Kong

Fifteen minutes a month

I want to share a bit about my family background. I lived with my parents, my girlfriend, and my daughter. I have two older sisters and an older brother who has already moved out; they are all married.

After finishing Form 5, I worked as a warehouse clerk. In August 2018, when my daughter was born, I first came into contact with drugs through coworkers. I was arrested in November 2018, which led to my first conviction.

I was released in April 2021. After that, I cut off contact with those old coworkers and returned to warehouse work, though I still lost jobs more than once. In September 2022, someone I met in prison tried to recruit me to sell drugs, and I refused.

But in January 2023, because of financial pressure and my father needing eye surgery, I gave in to greed and agreed to sell drugs.

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The real state of my life

I am 37 years old and was born in Hong Kong, with a post-secondary level of education. I am the eldest daughter in my family. Due to my parents’ work commitments, I have lived with my grandparents since infancy, so my relationship with them is particularly close.

In 2009, I entered the real estate industry until 2019 when the pandemic broke out. At the time I had just separated from my husband, with whom I have an 11-year-old son. I became a single mother.

Soon after I came to know a man who proved a very bad influence in my life. We both worked in real estate together but lost our jobs due to COVID-19; I worked part-time as a waitress while he struggled with depression, alcoholism, and gambling. He exhausted both his savings and mine and became physically abusive — neighbors called police several times. I feared him greatly.

Because the apartment was rented in my name, I could not escape being implicated. That was when I realised that he had lied about working at night — he had in fact been trafficking drugs.

In June 2023, he was arrested for drug use and spent a week in hospital. This was the first time I learned of his drug habit. After his release, I believed him when he promised to quit. However, every day I went to work and returned home late at night, often finding that he was not at home. We quarrelled over this and he claimed he was going out at night to work, asked me not to scold him, and promised he would definitely quit drugs. I believed him at the time because I thought he feared going to prison and was determined to change.

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No Brotherhood off-screen

I have been to prison seven times, and each time has felt harder than the last. The physical and mental torment is difficult to describe. I carry deep guilt toward my family, especially my parents, and I regret my choices. I want to go home, but I can’t, and that leaves me anxious and restless. People outside rarely understand what prison life is like—the hardship, sorrow, self-blame, and suffering can only be known by those who have lived it.

This is how I ended up here: because of a difficult family background, problems at school, and the friends I kept, I came into contact with drugs and eventually went to prison—what I think of as the “suffering of incarceration.”

My first imprisonment happened after a relapse. I was controlled by a group of so-called friends who sold drugs. I even helped them traffic drugs, but before I received any payment, I was arrested.

When I was young, I joined the triads partly because of how media glorified them. Movies made members look stylish, powerful, and protected—like joining meant no one could bully you. They also portrayed “brotherhood” and loyalty as if members would help each other no matter what.

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Caught in the wheels of crime

I am 23 years old and currently in a correctional institution. I am charged with trafficking 59 kilograms quantity of methamphetamine. A duty lawyer told me that my sentence could be between 33 to 36 years, and even with remission, I would still have to serve at least 16 years before being released.

On May 23, 2023, a man I had met previously met in Hong Kong called me and asked me to come back with a part-time job offer. The job would pay me HK$5,000, including some money owed to me. At the time, I was in in Mainland China taking care of my mother, who had returned there for medical treatment, and I was planning to return to Hong Kong where I had been living to look after my younger brother. So I agreed.

On the evening of May 27 I returned to the city and received a call from this male acquaintance, who told me that another contact would reach out with instructions. I had met this contact a few years ago and had had a meal with him once. Sometimes he contacted me to help pick up things—usually mobile phones or cosmetics. This time, I thought it would be similar and did not ask many questions.

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A mother’s abounding love

I’m not the only child in my family, but my brother is 15 years younger than me. We don’t have the same father. When I was a baby, my parents broke up. My grandma raised me, and I went back to my mother’s side in secondary school. After my brother was born, I started smoking and spending time with friends outside school, so I couldn’t study well.

Most of the time I didn’t like staying at home. My friends were like me. We stayed out late, smoked, took drugs, and didn’t go home.

I remember one time, when my mother was pregnant with my brother, she called the police and reported me missing. After a few days I was caught. Because it had happened so many times, the police said I couldn’t return home. That was my first time in “children’s jail,” and it wasn’t as horrible as people imagine.

I wasn’t really scared. I could call my family, write letters, and learn things there. But I missed my family—especially my mother. She is wonderful, and I love her very much. When she visited, she brought a lawyer and McDonald’s. I cried. She said she was sorry I ended up there, and I felt the warmth and guilt.

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The tiger awaits

From as far back as I can remember, talking with my family—my parents, my mother, my older sister, and my older brother—became harder and harder. I felt like no one at home wanted to spend time with me or truly care about me. Because of that, I desperately looked for close friends at school.

But I didn’t like studying and my grades were poor, so the well-behaved classmates didn’t want to be friends with me. I felt like I was being pushed out on purpose. Inside, it hurt a lot. Feeling isolated, I naturally ended up hanging out with the so‑called “black sheep,” blending into their circle of eating, drinking, and just passing time.

Around then, I also started being exposed to drugs and other illegal ways of making quick money. When I watched my friends and drinking buddies take drugs in front of me, I was curious, but I still didn’t have the courage to try that “free” and “high” feeling myself.

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Chasing the dragon – Part 3

CONTINUED FROM PART 2
NO GLAMOUR IN TRIADS

The triads are not as glamorous as movies portray; movies only glorify them. There is a saying “out of ten bad boys, nine are truly wicked.” The triads exploit you. When you’re young, a big group of people follows a boss to eat and drink. A single look or bump can spark a fight; they boss people around, thinking it’s cool, but in reality, it’s just the many bullying the few.

There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. These bosses exploit the ignorance and mindset of young people, taking advantage of human weakness. They will never provide free food, drink, entertainment, or drugs long term. At first, they lure you into drug use so you get addicted. When you can no longer escape, you have to pay the price. You don’t think carefully about the consequences for the money to buy drugs, accepting them happily. They will tell you to do drugs or commit robberies — anything to make money. Some get lucky and don’t get caught by the police despite committing many crimes, but many get arrested the first time. For a reward of tens of thousands or only a few thousand, you suffer more than a decade in prison. Not everyone is that lucky.

I want to share a true story here.

There was a 30-year-old young gangster who fell deep into drug addiction. His triad boss asked him to go to Europe to smuggle a batch of ivory powder into Hong Kong. The payment was HK$30,000. The young gangster thought he could go to France and the Netherlands with his girlfriend for free, since his boss covered the airfare and hotel stay, plus a daily allowance of 150 euros. Having worked for the boss for nearly 10 years, he believed he wouldn’t be cheated, so he accepted the job.

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Chasing the dragon – Part 2

CONTINUED FROM Part 1
The Diamond Hill murders

In October 2022, I was admitted to Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre. At first, I didn’t have any special feelings because prison life for me just meant no drugs, no women, and no internet. I was already used to the rest of it. But on June 2, 2023, a tragedy happened. A murder took place at Diamond Hill Hollywood Plaza. A mentally ill man randomly killed two young women. On June 3, when I read the newspaper, I noticed the second victim looked very familiar. The newspaper obscured the victim’s face with a grid, so I couldn’t see it clearly, but I still felt it looked familiar, like my daughter. I looked closer at the victim’s name; at that time, the paper only printed the surname. I was relieved and thought it couldn’t be possible — I must be overthinking. I even discussed the case with other inmates, saying how brave the second victim was. Despite being unarmed, she tried to save her friend four times and ultimately lost her life to the attacker.

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Chasing the dragon – Part 1

I am 46 years old this year. I was remanded in custody in October 2022 for burglary.

Growing up

I was born in 1976, and my family lived in an old housing estate on the eastern part of the Kwun Tong District in Kowloon. I have three older sisters and one older brother; I am the youngest. Because both of my parents worked when I was little, they didn’t have time to take care of me, so I stayed at my grandmother’s house. However, my grandmother was very strict, and I was often physically punished or left without food, which made me want to rebel from a young age.

My family could be described as a triad family. My uncle was a triad boss, my brother-in-law was a triad leader, and both my brother and cousin were also members of the triads. From a young age, I was surrounded by triad members, and both my uncle and brother-in-law also sold drugs.

During school holidays when I didn’t have to go to class, I would return to my parents’ home, where I was very happy because many people would take me to the park downstairs, and I could eat snacks and drink soda at the local convenience store for free. This was because the area was full of triads, and the people who took me out to play were the so-called “bad boys” from the neighborhood. So all the food was free. I clearly remember seeing my uncle at home using a matchbox to smoke something off a piece of silver paper (later, I learned it was heroin — the “chasing the dragon” method).

I thought it was very strange back then, wondering what my uncle was doing, and he looked very comfortable and seemed to be enjoying himself. When I moved back to live with my parents in Form 1, I was very happy because I finally escaped hardship and could live well. Maybe my mother felt guilty for not spending much time with me when I was young, so she spoiled and indulged me, never scolding or punishing me even when I made mistakes. This made me even more out of control. I skipped school all the time and was eventually expelled. Not only did I stop going to school, but I also spent every day hanging around basketball courts and arcade centers, where I met a group of delinquent friends. By age 14, I even joined a triad. I idled my time away daily, eating, drinking, partying, chasing girls, and getting into fights.

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From blind trust to hard truth

I am 52 years old. On December 15, 2022, because of a drug case involving my flat, I was imprisoned in Lo Wu Correctional Institution. To others, my case may seem impossible or even laughable, but in truth, I was simply extremely foolish. My boyfriend had used my unit for drug trafficking, and through negligence and blind trust, I ended up facing arrest.

Here in prison, most people call me “Ah Bo” or “Grandma” because they know I want to be a grandmother, so younger inmates sometimes address me that way. I come from a humble family with six siblings, being the youngest. When I was six, my father left due to an affair. My mother was heartbroken, drank heavily, and often threatened suicide — sometimes saying she would take me with her. This happened several times a week. My eldest brother cared for me, becoming both brother and father in my life.

At fifteen, my father was hospitalised for heart problems. The family forgave him and took him home to recuperate. The next year, I left school to work as a sales assistant. Later I married, had a son, and stopped working during pregnancy. My mother‑in‑law helped care for my son, so when he turned one, I returned to work as a promoter.

When my son was five, my husband became a compulsive gambler and violent. At seven, I divorced him and took my son with me. Money was tight, but a kind social worker helped me apply for social assistance, which I cancelled a year later after I started temp jobs.

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Free Thailand holiday trap

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.

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The cigarette that burned down my life

A Personal Warning

Stay Clear of Crime and Traffickers

My name is KTB, and I want to share my story with you, not just to tell you what happened to me, but to serve as a warning to help you avoid the same fate. I made a series of bad choices, believing in quick money and trusting the wrong people, and now I am paying a heavy price. I hope my experience can help you think twice before walking down a similar path.

The Beginning: A Chance Encounter that Changed Everything

It all started around Christmas time in 2022. I was in Lan Kwai Fong, enjoying a night out when I met a guy we’ll call “X.” Our first interaction was simple as I asked for a cigarette, and that small gesture led to a conversation. We talked about tattoos, clothes, and shared common interests. X was easy to talk to, and he gave me the feeling of an older brother figure, someone who understood life and seemed to have experience. We exchanged phone numbers, and after that night, we occasionally kept in touch.

At first, our conversations were casual. X told me he worked in high-end liquor sales selling spirits and whisky, dealing with wealthy clients, fancy dinners, and luxury lifestyles. He made it sound so glamorous, and I thought that maybe if I stuck with him, I could learn something new or even find a job that would make me proud. I was curious, eager to try something different, and naïve enough to believe I could learn from him.

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A reckless game

I am 21 this year. I was born in mainland China and came to Hong Kong with my mother in 2018, when I started Form 1. Due to cultural differences and being a transfer student, I struggled academically and socially. With my mother working long hours, I spent my time at billiard halls and game centers. I dropped out after two months and began hanging out with friends I met outside school.

I was skilled at billiards and spent most of my time at the hall, where I met older friends who treated me well. My daily expenses came from the HK$100 my mother left me each morning before her 12-hour cleaning shifts. Before leaving each day, she would always tell me, “If you can’t study well, then just find a proper job. Don’t keep wandering outside with bad people who’ll lead you astray!” But I treated those words like noise in the background, thinking, “How could I possibly run into bad people?”

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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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Passed around like a ball

When I was still a baby, I was abandoned by my parents and left alone at home until an auntie and the police broke in and rescued me. After that, my life became a story of being passed around like a ball from one relative to another. One relative would look after me for a while, then another, with no stable home.

When I was very young, I already heard a lot of cold remarks and criticisms about my parents, saying my parents were drug addicts, triad members, and bad people.

Later, some relatives even spoke badly about my grandmother, saying she gave birth to my mother just to serve others, and now she has another grandchild who is “handless and footless” (a derogatory way to describe helplessness). I remember from age four to eight when my grandmother looked after me: my grandfather was a film lighting technician and was often out of the house for long periods. My grandmother worked in the costume department of a TV station from 10am to 10pm, so I went to kindergarten on my own by taking the school bus downstairs and came home by myself. When I got home, my grandmother would leave food on the table before going to work. This was my life until I was eight years old, when grandmother sent me over to my great-aunt, who lived in a different district, so I also changed schools.

Things improved a bit then because my great-aunt had many children who could help me with homework, but it was still hard because before that, no one cared if I did homework, tests, or dictation, so my grades were always poor, and I was unmotivated to learn. A year later, halfway my Primary 4 year, I moved into a children’s home and stayed there until Secondary 2.

One day, after school, when I came back to the home, I saw my grandparents, a woman, and a man. The woman was my mother, and the man was my stepfather. They said there was a special meeting because they wanted to take me to live with them. Of course, I was willing – it was so new and exciting! Wow! I finally had a mom and a dad.

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