How to Avoid Accidentally Smuggling Drugs When Traveling

With airport security at its all-time strictest, the perils of smuggling drugs through airports are higher than ever. That's a real problem for those who make a living dealing and shipping illegal substances. And that's why they often get unsuspecting travelers to do their dirty work for them, by planting drugs in your luggage. Here's how to avoid unwittingly becoming a drug smuggler and the potential for major legal trouble that comes with it.

Lock your luggage
Start by putting secure, high-quality locks on all your bags. And keep the keys with you at all times. This keeps you from becoming an easy target. Smugglers probably won't bother trying to break the lock - they'll just move on to an easier, less secure target.

Keep strangers out of your room
You may just be acting friendly or sociable - a terrific way to travel - but it can have terrible consequences. By bringing people you don't know back to your room, you make it easy for them to slip contraband into your baggage without you knowing it. And once it's discovered, you have little or no recourse.

Know the people you drink with
Likewise, you shouldn't drink with people you don't know. With the liquor dulling your senses and taking your attention, you become an easier target for planting contraband on you. Avoid such a situation by imbibing only with people you knew before the trip.

Inspect your baggage and clothing
Before you leave for the airport, look through everything in baggage - including all the tiny little pockets and folds in the liner. Likewise, examine your clothing carefully, including all pockets, liners, and other small hiding places. These steps aren't just important for those who have socialized with strangers on a trip - smugglers have all sorts of ways into hotel rooms.

Keep your bags in sight at all times
By leaving your bags unattended at the airport, you become an easy pick for smugglers - their ideal shot. Stay with your bags at all times, and avoid placing them near large crowds that conceal a smuggler slipping something into your baggage when your head is turned.