matthewuk

I'm astonsihed and actually quite worried...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/s...es/4481621.stm

This lady had a problem with a passport - they take a urine sample (fair enough) and find traces of Codeine and Temazepam. She's now in jail because Codeine is a banned substance and they consider her carrying it!

(You'd have thought the Temazepam would be more of an issue)

Quite frightening - my holiday first aid kit contains Codis (which contains Codeine) as a matter of course. I'd never have thought of having to check my first aid kit for narcotics. (Obviously as a matter of course I remove the nail clippers as they CLEARLY pose a danger to aircraft safety)

Traveller beware.....

Jenbel

I was in Hong Kong when Body Shop tried to introduce their Hemp range there - Hong Kong authorities refused to allow it, despite the fact it was made with commercial hemp, saying the possession of hemp or hemp derivatives was illegal, so it was illegal to be sold. Which meant that any travellers flying in with it from other countries could theoretically be charged with possession of illegal drugs since then, I've been a bit more aware of what I carry, but ultimately, if I have a prescribed medicine, it's hard to ensure that it isn't illegal. Over the counter remedies are even more problematic - it's not the only country I've heard of where codeine is illegal - and how many people know that Solpadeine actually contains codeine (IIRC from my days as a pharmacy assistant!)

The Saint

I'm not sure that I naturally expect a urine sample if there is a problem with my passport!

G-BOAC

If she was stopped knowing she was full of 'drugs' with a minimum four year stretch in front of her, maybe they didn't have a choice but to accept the sample...

On a more serious note...scary story! God knows what I have tucked away in my bag when I fly - over the counter stuff from various places if I've been feeling a bit ill when I've been travelling!

Phil

PhilH

There is a far more worrying story going on in Australia. An ozzie girl who went on holiday in Bali (I think, definitely somewhere in Indonesia) has been put in jail because a large amount of cannabis was found in her luggage. Trouble is, it seems she didn't put it there.

Rather it seems to be emerging that there was an illicit drug-smuggling ring going on with baggage handlers in Australia. She routed BNE-SYD-DPS (I think) and the BNE baggage handlers allegedly put drugs in her checked luggage to be taken out by other baggage handlers in SYD. Unfortunately (for the poor girl) they didn't remove them in SYD and when she got to DPS, her checked luggage contained a large amount of drugs. She now faces death/life in prison.

Makes you wonder, eh? Once you let go of your luggage, i.e. check it in, the luggage handlers (who are generally extremely poorly paid) could put anything in it, or tamper with it in any way.

Very, very scary.

Here are some links to the story (the girl's name is Schapelle Corby):

http://search.smh.com.au/siteSearch....elle+corby&o=1

Frequentflyer99

Wow - Paracetemol and codeine have often been in my washbag on trips.

ChickenOrBeef

A good job you hadn't mentioned that a couple of weeks ago before my friend asked to take a couple of large boxes of Solpadeine to California for her. I wondered why she couldn't buy it there - and to think I was worried about smuggling in Branston Pickle!

ACLMC

Ooops. That's tough. I'm sure if the authorities tested everyone arriving from the UK, they'd find 10-20% of all passengers to be breaking the law. Cocodamol (paracetamol with codeine) is very widely prescribed esp to the middle aged/elderly for joint pains.

Temazepam on the other hand is not so widely prescribed esp to a 44 year old. Usually used as a night sedative for the elderly.

The Saint

I know quite a few people who use Temazepan for sleeping on longhaul flights. Apparently it's very good, and no 'hangover' in the morning.

quitecontrary

[QUOTE=PhilH]There is a far more worrying story going on in Australia. An ozzie girl who went on holiday in Bali (I think, definitely somewhere in Indonesia) has been put in jail because a large amount of cannabis was found in her luggage. Trouble is, it seems she didn't put it there.

/QUOTE]
Yes I heard about this story from my sister in Syd. It is Bali. Apparently the cannibis was in her body board bag- she was meeting her sister there for a holiday and she was hardly likely to import the stuff from Aus when it is readily available on every street corner in Kuta. There is a lot or public support for her in Aus as it so apparent that she is innocent-emails to Gov ministers etc.

matthewuk

I guess I meant reasonable enough compared to the other action of throwing someone in jail for taking a pain killer!

On the other posts...

Does anyone know of any device you can use to protect your bags from illegal tampering?

Also, I'll second the thoughts on Codeine in other drugs. I've had Cocodamol prescribed for a fracture before and am also aware of Solpadeine (and the fact you can't get Codeine in the US - hence why I travel with it!!)

Do the airlines make any special announcements about banned products/substances that Honest Joe wouldn't expect to be banned? I've heard the odd ovious ones about fruit, veg and meat when flying into the US but nothing about 'Watch out, you can't bring such and such here because this country has a bizarre law')

wobbly wings

Indeed. I always try to secure my luggage to try and avoid this. But of course in the US these days you need to give them luggage unlocked "ready for inspection in case X-rays reveal anything suspicious".

Jenbel

It's why I still lock mine wherever possible with an external lock- if they want to, they can cut the lock off, but I'm not leaving it open for any tom, dick or harry to put anything into it they want to.

They used to shrink-wrap bags out of BKK at check-in - don't know if they still do, but i always thought that was an anti-drugs measure...

Swanhunter

Beware of poppy seeds. A business colleague had a warrant for arrest issued in Kuwait as we arrange for a shipment of dried flowers to be imported...all of which contained poppy heads. Strictly illegal under Kuwaiti law as they are a theoretical source of opium.

I had something similar happen to me involving Singapore and poppy seed crackers.

quitecontrary

Haven't seen the shrink-wrap on any of my trips- last time July last year. They do put a security band around it which prevents it from being opened.
BKK is one of the airportsto keep a close eye on your bags justin case. A friend lost one of her carry-on bags on the way in to Thailand. It turned up but her hotel warned her to insist on it being opened in the presence of airport officials in case it had anything put into it!