Paid to carry parcels overseas? The hidden risks of crowdshipping

The arrest of a Thai Airways cabin crew member for allegedly carrying drugs for a stranger has spotlighted the growing trend of crowdshipping, where cross-border travellers use excess luggage space to transport items for others.

Australian Federal Police said the 26-year-old Thai national was charged with importing more than 1kg of heroin into Melbourne on June 25, while she was on duty for Thailand’s national carrier. She was allegedly paid about $335 to transport the bags for a stranger she had connected with via Facebook.

This practice, known as crowdshipping, has become more common among South-east Asian travellers in the last 10 years, with advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Line.

Travellers offer to carry items for others on international flights in exchange for a small fee, typically between $10 and $30 a kg. Many advertisements appear harmless, with offers or requests to transport items such as clothes, snacks, shoes or electronic goods.

Similarly benign requests are common on Singapore-developed app Quest, which bills itself as a global platform to hire people for errands, creative work, part-time jobs and tasks.

Checks by The Straits Times found one Quest user offering $25 for someone to buy an authentic Pandora charm from Disneyland in the US, and another offering $30 for the delivery of two MyHeritage DNA testing kits to Texas.

Criminal intent?

But Australian and Thai police have warned that criminals could also use crowdshipping groups to lure people into carrying illegal goods unwittingly, which was what the Thai Airways cabin crew member claims happened to her.

Upon arrival in Melbourne, her baggage was screened by security, where Australian Border Force officers allegedly detected heroin hidden inside the lining of her 12 tote bags, with a street value of about $450,000.

She faces one count of importing and one count of possession of a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug. She was remanded in custody on June 26 and is due to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sept 14. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.

In Thailand, the story has received much media coverage, partly due to its connection to the country’s national carrier. Many Thai netizens are sympathetic to the cabin crew member, whom they believe had no criminal intent and was just trying to earn extra money.

More checks expected

Crowdshipping occupies a confusing space from a legal standpoint, says Kuan-Huei Lee, an associate professor and tourism expert from the Singapore Institute of Technology.

In most parts of the world, plane passengers are allowed to transport items on behalf of other people. But carrying undeclared or prohibited goods breaches Customs law and airline security rules.

Since the Thai Airways cabin crew arrest, Thai authorities have prohibited crowdshipping by airline staff.

Lee says: “Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority has banned airline crew from accepting, carrying or delivering items for other persons, whether or not payment is involved, and has required airlines to implement stricter baggage screening, random checks and disciplinary measures.

“This serves as a real case study that might prompt airlines across the region to enforce tighter checks on crew.”

For many years, Thai airline staff have been warned not to transport items for strangers, says Pipatpong Fakfare, associate professor of tourism at Bangkok University, whose wife used to work as a flight attendant. “However, some crew members still take risks, either out of financial desperation or because they believe it won’t happen to them.

“We can expect to see more frequent and random baggage inspections before flights. Airlines in this region cannot afford the reputational damage or legal liability of being linked to a smuggling operation.”

Fakfare says crowdshipping is rife in Thailand, and that Facebook alone has hundreds of groups where travellers sell their unused plane baggage weight to strangers.

“Some people even operate as (crowdshipping) regulars, building reputations and offering trusted services with references,” he adds.

One such Facebook group examined by ST had more than 20 advertisements posted over a 24-hour period. Most were from users seeking travellers to carry items such as toys, matcha, branded clothing and pop culture merchandise for them on international flights. Some posts had multiple replies from users offering to take on the job.

Financial draw

Since the recent criminal case, Thai crowdshippers appear to be more wary of the dangers involved, says Fakfare.

Some include disclaimers in their social media posts, saying they will not be responsible if Customs or the airline has problems with the items they are carrying. But such disclaimers do not remove a traveller’s legal responsibility for goods in his or her luggage.

“Despite the growing awareness of the risks, the practice remains widespread because of the financial incentive,” he says. “Even if the incentive is small, it still attracts travellers looking to offset their travel costs.”

Lee says crowdshipping may appeal more to travellers from countries where wages are lower.

“The salary of a flight attendant in Thailand is roughly $2,000 a month, so by carrying just a few parcels, the supplementary income could approach the carrier’s monthly salary,” she says.

Lee warns that although most crowdshippers operate legally, being involved in this practice can make one a target for criminal gangs seeking drug mules.

She says two of her Thai friends living in Singapore regularly receive crowdshipping advertisements on Facebook, Line, TikTok and other social media platforms.

While banning such advertisements may seem logical, it is impractical from a legal standpoint.

Lee says: “Given that there is a genuine market and demand for these services, prohibition would be difficult for governments to enforce. Instead, platforms should be monitored and required to implement stronger safeguards to increase accountability.

“Banning the ads would simply push the activity deeper into private social media groups, where it is far harder for the authorities to detect.”

Fakfare agrees, saying: “The core problem is that these platforms have become easy recruiting grounds for drug trafficking. Social media companies, governments and Customs authorities need to collaborate on public warning campaigns, and clear legal frameworks that hold both carriers and platforms accountable.”

Ronan O’Connell is a freelance writer.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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