Hong Kong's Occupy protests turned me into a drug courier, claims man jailed for 14 years
A car salesman who claimed the Occupy movement caused his business to drop and prompted him to deliver drugs for a dealer was jailed for 14 years in the High Court this morning.
Lee Kwok-hung, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking and one count of possessing dangerous drugs. He was accused of trafficking about 3.9kg of ketamine with a street value of HK$660,000 in November last year.
His lawyer, Raymond Yu, said Lee’s company was located in Mong Kok and that the Occupy sit-in in Mong Kok had affected his car sales.
Yu said Lee’s salary dropped from HK$20,000 to HK$5,000, which meant that Lee did not have enough money to support his family.
Lee began to take drugs to seek relief and was later persuaded to deliver drugs for a dealer to earn quick money.
“Lee is regretful and is very determined to turn a new leaf,” Yu said. He claimed Lee’s wife almost left him, but had now decided to stay with him and support him.
Mr Justice Albert Wong Sung-hau jailed Lee for 14 years based on the weight of the drugs.
Prosecutor Lilly Wong told the court customs officers intercepted Lee in a private car at Sha Kong Wai village in Lau Fau Shan in the morning of November 28 last year and found the drugs in a carton next to the driver’s seat.
Lee told the officers that he was delivering the drugs to someone for a few thousand dollars.