Online users have warned travelers not to carry items for strangers through customs, saying seemingly harmless requests to bring back forgotten belongings from overseas could be part of a drug trafficking ploy.
The warning came after a post circulated on Threads on Monday, advising members of the public not to help strangers transport items across borders, even if the request appears to be a small favor.
Citing a recent case in which a flight attendant was arrested after allegedly carrying a bag with cocaine hidden in its lining, the post said online pleas involving items supposedly left behind in Japan or Southeast Asia should be treated with caution.
According to the post, scammers may upload edited emails showing inflated shipping costs, then appeal to strangers to help bring the items back to Hong Kong.
The post warned that ordinary-looking items, such as clothing, could be “soaked in drug liquid,” putting the person carrying them at serious legal risk if drugs are found at customs.
“Don’t carry any items for strangers or even close ones through customs! Ask them to use a delivery service rather than risk your future,” the poster wrote.
The post quickly drew attention online, with some commenters saying they had seen similar requests, including one offering HK$250 for someone to bring back a T-shirt allegedly left behind in Japan.
Many commenters urged travelers to stay alert, saying they would refuse such requests even from people they knew. Others said similar scams had existed for years, but more people appeared to be lowering their guard over seemingly minor favors.
“It seems people today are more educated, but common sense is not so common,” one commenter wrote.
Some online users suggested a simple rule for avoiding such risks: refuse to carry items through customs for anyone, including family members, as the person making the request may also have been deceived.
Under Hong Kong’s Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug carries a maximum penalty of a HK$5 million fine and life imprisonment.
