Drug Smugglers Don't Need Criminals. Sometimes They Need Tourists

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Customs has issued an urgent warning to the public, particularly young travellers, not to carry luggage, parcels or packages belonging to other people, amid growing concerns that international drug trafficking networks are exploiting unsuspecting individuals as couriers.

Customs Spokesman Chandana Punchihewa cautioned that even trusted friends, relatives or close acquaintances could unknowingly or deliberately involve others in illegal activities by asking them to transport items whose contents are unknown.

"We would like to urge the public not to carry parcels, packages, or baggage that do not belong to them under any circumstances, whether during air travel or any other journey," Punchihewa said.

He stressed that travellers should never agree to transport items that are not their own, warning that the consequences could be severe.

"Our appeal is simple: never agree to carry items that are not your own or that are unrelated to you. If such items are found to contain illegal substances, you could end up in prison," he said.

Punchihewa noted that while offenders in Sri Lanka face imprisonment, some countries impose far harsher punishments for drug-related offences.

" In some countries, the consequences are even more severe, with offenders facing the death penalty," he warned.

His remarks come amid growing global concern over drug trafficking networks that recruit unsuspecting travellers to transport narcotics across international borders.

According to international anti-drug agencies, traffickers frequently exploit ordinary passengers by concealing drugs in luggage, parcels or bags entrusted to them by third parties. Global border control programmes have repeatedly identified passenger baggage as a key method used by transnational criminal networks to move illicit narcotics across countries.

Customs also urged young people to be particularly cautious when offered sponsored overseas trips or free airline tickets.

"When someone offers you a free airline ticket or a sponsored trip, stop and think carefully. After all, how many people are willing to pay for your travel simply out of kindness? You should ask yourself why someone is offering to buy you a ticket and send you abroad in the first place," Punchihewa said.

The message from Customs is clear: if the bag is not yours, neither should the risk be.