TRAVELLING to party resorts, cocktail in hand with the latest designer clothes, influencers flood social media with images of the high life to millions of followers.
And with youngsters desperate to live the same luxury lifestyle, they have become perfect targets for drug smuggling gangs – so much so that a Border Force operation has been launched to protect “naive” Brit travellers.
Instagram/sophieandriellaferriLevi Whalley (left) and Sophie Bannister were approached by a trafficker based in Marbella and offered a deal for a free shopping tree[/caption]
Cameron Bradford, 21, flew to Thailand on a ticket bought by her boss
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaBorder Force Senior Officer Kate Goldstone[/caption]
At airports in the UK, officers are tracking down youngsters who are heading on their first trips abroad to issue an urgent warning.
Baby-faced travellers, many of them on their first foreign holiday alone away from mum and dad, are prime targets for sinister gangs looking to lure them into a life of crime with the promise of luxurious holidays.
Sick traffickers are using social media to offer teens free holidays to paradise destinations such as Thailand and other party resorts such as Ibiza, just as influencers are offered free trips in return for content.
Boarding their free flight, convinced they are about to have a great time in the sun – they are often oblivious to the danger.
But then their dream holiday turns into a nightmare when they are forced into bringing drugs back home – or to other European nations – by hardened criminals.
It means Instagram and TikTok-loving teens have become easy prey for these sinister groups, wanting so desperately to have the jet-setting lifestyle of the Love Island star and celebs they see online.
Britain has seen a flurry of cases this summer, such as Bella Culley, 18, who was duped into taking drugs to Georgia from Thailand, and budding travel influencer Charlotte May Lee, 21, who carried drugs from Thailand to Sri Lanka.
And previously glamorous pals Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley, both from Blackburn, were found with cannabis packed in their bags as they flew back to the UK from New York in 2022.
Sophie and Levi claim they were approached online by a girl in Marbella – and offered an all-espenses paid trip in return for bringing two suitcases back.
Now, in a bid to protect youngsters who haven’t travelled before or might be going on their first holiday, Border Force has launched Operation Karetu to help stop Brits being snared by drug traffickers.
Senior Border Force officer Kate Goldstone told The Sun how organised crime gangs “are using social media channels like TikTok and Instagram” to contact young people.
Shutterstock EditorialCharlotte May Lee, 21, was bought a plane ticket by a man she met in Bangkok[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaBorder Force Officers on Operation Karetu with Senior Officer Louise Deakin speaking with passengers to warn them of dangers of drug gangs[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaBorder Force running operation Karetu at Manchester Airport[/caption]
She added: “They are offering them free holidays and influencer jobs.
“Thailand, especially, they are saying, ‘come for a free holiday’. When they get there, they are then expected to smuggle drugs back.”
The use of impressionable young mules is a tried, tested and terrifying trade employed by drug gangs across the Med and beyond.
But a slew of drug mule arrests involving Brits have emerged in the last few months, with Thailand in particular becoming a hotspot for criminal gangs.
Since February 2024, a total of 750 people have been arrested trying to smuggle drugs from Thailand into the UK – a huge spike from the previous year, when there were just 24.
Brit drug mule suspect Bella claimed baggage containing 31lb of cannabis was carried to the airport for her and put in the plane’s hold when she boarded a flight from Bangkok in May.
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaA Border Force flyer being handed out to travellers[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaBorder Force Officers on Operation Karetu with Senior Officer Louise Deakin speaking with passengers[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaA Border Force Officer with a sniffer dog on patrol[/caption]
A court heard that Bella, 18, from County Durham, was tortured into trafficking £200,000-worth of cannabis by gangs.
And a Brit couple claiming to be tourists from Thailand were busted with more than 33kg of cannabis in their suitcases at a Spanish airport.
The pair were picked out by suspicious cops at Valencia Airport after displaying a “nervous and evasive attitude” and are now behind bars on drug trafficking charges.
A young mum was also detained in Germany for allegedly smuggling cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand in yet another shocking case.
Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, was detained at Munich Airport as she tried to collect her luggage.
It is organised crime. It is global. We are focusing on Thailand, but we are also looking at the Balearic Islands, Ibiza, Cyprus – all sorts of places we know young people like to go to
Officer Goldstone
But authorities are also aware of youngsters being targeted in other British holiday hotspots such as Cyprus, Spain and Ibiza.
While, former air stewardess Charlotte was also caught allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2million into Sri Lanka.
Her suitcases were said to have been stuffed with 46kg of a synthetic cannabis strain known as kush.
Officer Goldstone, 32, added: “It is organised crime. It is global. We are focusing on Thailand, but we are also looking at the Balearic Islands, Ibiza, Cyprus – all sorts of places we know young people like to go to.
NCA4 tonnes of cocaine and 48 people were arrested as Europol broke up a massive trafficking ring in Spain[/caption]
NCAMore seizures from the raid after a joint investigation by Spain, the UK, Portugal, Colombia and the USA[/caption]
FacebookBrit drug mule suspect Bella Culley was found with 31lb of cannabis[/caption]
Drugs found in one of the suitcases bought back by Levi and Sophie
“Influencing” is seen as a career by many young people – and so it becomes an alluring manipulation tool to be used by the drug gangs.
She said: “They might think this is my start as a travel influencer with a free holiday.
“But they are targeting people who might be looking to open up their social media, and they are finding them, and that is how they are contacting them.
“So, anyone who contacts you on social media with something that seems too good to be true, think about the risk and contact the Border Force.”
Border Force launched Operation Karetu last year to help tackle modern slavery, but it’s now being used this year to warn youngsters of the dangers of being targeted abroad.
Ms Goldstone said they are trying to protect “quite naive” youngsters.
But while youngsters are the priority, older people can also be preyed upon.
Former Asda manager Lousia De Marco, 53, had her flights paid for by a gang that flew her out to collect drugs from Thailand.
It appears anyone can be lured in by these criminals as they promises lavish holiday and riches.
Bella Culley, from Billingham, County Durham, seen in court in Tbilisi, where she was caught with suitcases of cannabisEast2West
Social mediaA court heard that Bella, 18, was tortured into trafficking £200,000-worth of cannabis[/caption]
East2WestAlleged suitcase of British citizen Bella May Culley, 18.[/caption]
Asda manager Lousia De Marco, 53, was also lured in by a free holidayFacebook
Speaking to The Sun at Manchester Airport, she said they have seen an increase in the number of Brits being targeted by drug smuggling gangs.
Ms Goldstone said: “We’ve seen an increase, and it’s something Border Force takes really seriously.
“Mainly, we’re looking at 18 to 25-year-olds who might be going on their first holiday, might be quite naive, and haven’t travelled before.
“We’re raising awareness of the risks of drug smuggling and also exploitation.
“When we’ve run Operation Karetu before, we are finding that they’re getting into situations where it will start as a relatively good job or an event and then the approach comes.
“If they haven’t got much money left or they want to extend their stay, they might be tempted to think, ‘I should do this’.
“But we want to make it very clear – if you are found bringing drugs into the country, it is very high risk and you are likely to face prison.”
Officers handed out leaflets at Manchester Airport warning of the dangers.
One officer was seen speaking to a man wearing skimpy black shorts and a pink tiara as he was about to fly out for his stag do.
They also spoke to women going to Magaluf on a hen do and a man dressed in a scuba outfit as Gilbert the drug sniffer dog patrolled Terminal 3 departures.
Ms Goldstone said: “We are focusing on cannabis at the moment – reminding young people travelling about the cannabis laws.
“But we see all sorts of drugs – ketamine, cocaine.”
And one of Britain’s most infamous drug mules, Michaella McCollum, has previously warned Brits being preyed upon by gangs.
Michaella was one half of the Peru 2 alongside Melissa Reid – with the pair being handpicked to smuggle £1.5million worth cocaine into Peru.
The infamous duo were even recruited in Ibiza – one of the high risk locations identified by Border Force.
She told Good Morning Britain: “That’s what they do these organisations, they have people that are pickers and their job is to pick people to become mules.
“They’ll target vulnerabilities which might be age because at 19 or 20 you’re incredibly naive, you’re easy to manipulate.
“Then women as well as obviously women tend to be groomed and coerced in situations a lot more.”
Shutterstock EditorialMichaella Mccollum was one of the infamous Peru Two[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialMichaella was recruited while in Ibiza[/caption]