About Us
About Drug Mule Stories
With a thriving port and airport, Hong Kong has long been a global hub for both legitimate and criminal trade. Every year, dozens of people are arrested at the city's airport for bringing in drugs. But the problem doesn't just affect Hong Kong. Worldwide drug trafficking syndicates prey on vulnerable people, many of them single mothers, and trick them into carrying drugs. They use a range of tactics, including fake job opportunities, romance scams, fake charities and even coercion. Coercion is a big problem, but it's hard to prove when someone has been coerced.
Fighting your conviction in Hong Kong is risky because sentences are longer for those found guilty after giving an innocent plea. Sentencing guidelines in Hong Kong start at 20 years for more than 600 grams of cocaine. In some other countries, people convicted of drug smuggling can even be sentenced to death.
​
Our Story
We've interviewed over 50 prisoners, ex-prisoners and family members of prisoners in Hong Kong, because we think it's important to know the back stories of these people. Some smuggle drugs because they're desperate for money to pay for children's school fees, debts or medical treatment, and some have been tricked. It's easy to judge people, but if you know their stories, you might see things differently. The stories also serve as a warning, showing the consequences for the person in prison and the family left behind. Not everything is as it seems. If an opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is.