How to Protect Yourself From Unknowingly Smuggling Drugs
Occasionally tourists unknowingly smuggle drugs that have been planted on them across the border. If they are arrested, they face the possibility of heavy fines and jail time. When you travel abroad, take these steps to avoid having this happen to you.
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Instructions
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Take Steps to Protect Yourself From Smuggling Drugs Unknowingly
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1
Never leave your bags unattended in the airport. Unaccompanied bags are prime targets for smugglers looking for a place to stash their cargo.
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Examine your belongings. Make sure you are thoroughly familiar with the contents of your baggage. Check inside all the pockets in your clothes. Smugglers often break into hotel rooms or have operatives on staff that will place drugs in your bag while you are out of your room.
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3
Avoid inviting strangers to your room. You never know who someone really is, especially in a foreign country.
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4
Refrain from drinking with strangers while abroad. If you imbibe too much, it is easier for a smuggler to plant drugs on you without your knowledge.
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5
Place locks on your luggage and keep the key on you at all times. There have been instances of corrupt baggage handlers at airports placing drugs in checked baggage. A lock will reduce the likelihood of this happening to you.
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Follow up with an attorney if you have any further questions about how to protect yourself from unknowingly smuggling drugs to the countries you are visiting. Choose an attorney with experience dealing with the laws of the relevant countries. You can find attorneys through the American Bar Association (see Resources below) or you can use your local telephone directory to find one near you.
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Contact a human rights advocacy group like Human Rights Watch (see Resources below) if you are held for drug smuggling and feel your rights are being violated.
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Tips & Warnings
American citizens have the right to contact the local U. S. embassy if arrested for smuggling drugs in a foreign country.
Some countries carry the death penalty for drug smuggling, even for tourists who are visiting. If you travel to one of these countries, take extra care to take measures to protect yourself from smuggling drugs unknowingly.
Not every country has an American embassy. Contact the U.S. State Department (see Resources below) to find out if the country you will be visiting has one.
