Social media is awash with images of a glamorous lifestyle, featuring the latest designer clothes and parties at luxury resorts, posted by influencers for millions of followers.

Many young people, eager to emulate this opulent lifestyle, are becoming targets for drug smuggling gangs.

These gangs use social media to offer young people free holidays to Thailand and other party destinations, promising all-expenses-paid trips in exchange for influencer-style promotional content. Boarding their free flights, they believe they are embarking on a dream vacation, oblivious to the potential dangers.

The dream vacation turns into a nightmare when they are coerced by dangerous criminals into carrying drugs back to their home countries or to other European nations.

A rise in such cases has prompted the UK Border Force to launch Operation Karetu, aimed at protecting naive young travelers who may be easily manipulated, have never traveled before, or are taking their first solo trip.

At airports, officers are identifying first-time travelers to issue urgent warnings and distribute leaflets, raising awareness of the risks of drug smuggling and exploitation.

UK Border Force officers with sniffer dogs patrol Manchester Airport. *Image: Kelvinmedia*

Senior Border Force officer Kate Goldstone explained that organized crime gangs are "using social media channels like TikTok and Instagram" to target young people.

"They offer them free holidays and influencer work. They say 'come for a free holiday.' But when they get there, they’ll be tasked with smuggling drugs back," Goldstone added. Drug gangs across the Mediterranean and beyond have adopted this tactic.

Numerous drug smuggling arrests involving British citizens have occurred in recent months, particularly in Thailand, which is becoming a hotspot for criminal gangs.

Since 2/2024, 750 people have been arrested attempting to smuggle drugs from Thailand into the UK—a sharp increase from last year's figure of 24.

Goldstone said, "This is organized, global crime. We’re focusing on Thailand but also looking at the Balearic Islands, Ibiza, Cyprus—all the places young people like to visit."

In May, 18-year-old Bella Culley claimed she was tricked into carrying drugs from Thailand to Georgia. According to Culley, luggage containing 14 kg of cannabis was brought to the airport by someone else and loaded onto her flight from Bangkok.

The 18-year-old testified in court that she was tortured by gangs and forced to transport the cannabis, worth £200,000.

14 kg of cannabis found in the suitcase of 18-year-old British traveler Bella Culley. *Image: East2West*

In 2022, friends Sophie Bannister and Levi April Whalley were caught with over 35 kg of cannabis in their luggage on a flight from New York to the UK. They claimed they were contacted online by a woman in Marbella, Spain, who offered them a free trip if they brought two suitcases back.

These cases highlight how Instagram- and TikTok-obsessed teenagers, yearning for the lavish lifestyles of online celebrities, become easy prey for criminal groups.

The allure of becoming an influencer is a powerful tool exploited by drug gangs.

These gangs actively seek out aspiring influencers. "If anyone contacts you on social media with something that seems too good to be true, think about the risks and contact the Border Force," Goldstone advised.

Tue Anh (*via The Sun*)