Drug Mules - "stop families going through this crucifixion"

Jane Chow and Fr John Wotherspoon from Voice for Prisoners during their visit to London

Two tireless campaigners against the pernicious global network of drug trafficking visited London this week from Hong Kong. Australian Oblate Fr John Wotherspoon and his colleague Jane Chow, advocate against the exploitation of vulnerable individuals coerced into becoming drug mules and ending up with long sentences in prisons in Hong Kong and other Asian cities. "We are trying to stop families going through this crucifixion," he said. It is estimated that around 2,000 overseas nationals are currently in Hong Kong prisons.

In past years Fr John has visited African countries where many prisoners originated, but, he says, "in recent years, the numbers from Europe are increasing and we are seeing many young people, including young people from Britain." He has recently visited Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Brussels, encouraging tighter security at European airports to stop significant quantities of drugs getting through.

His journey to England included meeting families of drug mules imprisoned in Hong Kong from Bedford and London and talking to media to urge them to raise awareness of the dangers faced by those tempted by promises of speedy money and ensnared in the web of drug trafficking. At minimum, such a person faces ten years of imprisonment when caught "and most do get caught." Several decades of imprisonment is more common. Fr John suggests that "younger people are easier to manipulate," particularly those from broken homes and low-income families, or can be tricked by offers of easy money and scams such as online offers of a free holiday. Some are recruited by other young people and many are victims of trafficking.

As a prison chaplain in Hong Kong for over four decades, Fr John has heard many harrowing stories from prisoners and their families, many from Africa and Europe. As well as offering compassionate help, his key mission is prevention - to raise awareness among prospective victims and implore them to arm themselves with vital knowledge before succumbing to the allure of drug trafficking. He feels there should be more public education in schools and in outlets of local authorities, since so many of those currently recruited are young people. He also calls for urgent international collaborative action to stem the tide of narcotics flowing through international airports.

Fr John's outreach has inspired two non-governmental organisations based in Hong Kong: Voice for Prisoners and Mercy HK.

In the first, Jane Chow, Chief Operations Officer, also visits prisons and supports convicted drug mules and their families. The organisations arrange contact between prisoners and families - including through a radio programme for prisoners - educational provision, and other support. Through social media they raise awareness in overseas countries of the harsh penalties in Hong Kong for drug mules.

"I hope there will be a priority to stop drug mules from heading to Hong Kong and stop the criminals from exploiting more people," says Fr John.

LINKS

Voice for Prisoners: www.voiceforprisoners.org

Mercy HK: www.mercyhk.org

Fr John's daily blog at: www.v2catholic.com

Fr John visits prisons weekly, supports families of inmates, and leads an international anti-drug campaign. Watch his mission in action through these documentaries:

The case of Suzana Thayer who was released from a Hong Kong jail in 2023. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVww72qbKy0

and

Drug mules from African countries. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr9D6L67fTQ