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Home » Avianca » I Was Asked To Be A Mule On Flight To Bogota…
Avianca

I Was Asked To Be A Mule On Flight To Bogota…

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 28, 2023November 13, 2023 54 Comments

a group of people sitting in a waiting area

I was asked by a man to carry a bag for him on a flight to Bogota, Colombia. Ha, ha, ha. Gracias amigo, but no thank you. No way. Yes, this really happened…at London Heathrow.

Sir, Can You Take This Bag With You Onboard On Our Flight To Bogota? For My Mother…

As I conclude my extended Middle East trip report today, I was looking through my notes and realized I had forgotten to share about a pretty humorous…and potentially dangerous incident that occurred in London ahead of my Avianca flight to Bogota.

I had been in the city during my layover and when I returned to Heathrow T2, I lined up to board early, as I always do when “reviewing” a flight so that I can better position myself to board first and grab pictures of the cabin I am traveling in.

There was an announcement made at the gate about the carry-on limits and I was traveling with only one bag instead of my usual two. Suddenly, a Colombian man of about 45 approached me. He was holding a large silver backpack (as well as his own two pieces of carry-on). He asked me if I was going to Bogota.

I looked at him and just stared…

No buddy, I’m just standing in line to board the Bogota flight because I’m traveling to Birmingham.

A moment later I did say yes.

He then said, “Can you help me out? My mother has an extra bag and we don’t want to get in trouble.”

(while speaking, he pointed toward an older woman standing against the window)

Get into trouble? Are you seriously asking me to carry a bag for you to COLOMBIA?!

Can you imagine me in a Colombia prison? *shudder*

I shook my head and said no.

Perhaps realizing the foolishness of his request, he nodded and turned around to go back to his “mother.” He did not ask anyone else.

Should we even speculate what was inside the bag?

Oh, that’s just sugar. It’s better in London…Harrods always has the best.

I tend to think he was just trying to save a bag fee and probably harmless. I would think the drugs would be coming out of Bogota, not going in. But that is not a risk I’m ever going to take…

Have you ever been asked to be a mule…particularly on a flight to Colombia?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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54 Comments

  1. tom Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 2:53 pm

    I dont think people are bring that back to columbia from LHR. Thats like bringing sand to the beach.

    • Mike Reply
      March 29, 2023 at 9:46 am

      It’s Colombia

    • Jon Reply
      March 29, 2023 at 10:53 am

      Exactly haha!

  2. Desiree Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 3:10 pm

    Seems rude of you… you should have at least offered to pay his bag fee for your your lack of empathy.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 3:32 pm

      Troll much?

  3. ggg ggg Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 3:11 pm

    Did he also force you to write that clickbait headline? O was that your usual self?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 3:32 pm

      No, that was all me. Thanks for your click.

      • Al LeFeusch Reply
        March 29, 2023 at 2:50 pm

        Haha, I’m just here to compliment that reply.

    • Aaron Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 3:56 pm

      You should be used to the clickbait by now…

  4. AlohaDaveKennedy Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 3:31 pm

    More likely to be currency in the bag?

  5. PM Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 3:36 pm

    Unlikely that there was anything untoward there. What do I know though, I recently got intercepted by an Antidrogas dog at CDMX who detected the little bits of fuet salami in my carry-on luggage which duly got confiscated because biosecurity.

    • anonymous Reply
      March 29, 2023 at 8:06 pm

      “…got confiscated…”
      Mwmmp mmmp wmmp… … glmmp… smck smck…Aaaaahhhhh…

  6. Joseph Story Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 3:41 pm

    I was once asked to carry someone’s bag through security at Hong Kong Airport because they were over the limit. Yeah, not dumb enough to fall for that.

  7. It's not illegal to be stupid Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 3:49 pm

    Years ago, on a trip to Cancun, I was in line at their Customs checkpoint watching people hit the button for the green light, continue on your way, and the dreaded red light, where they are kind enough to search your luggage. A young man on our flight from the U.S. was ahead of us and hit the red light. They found what looked like a little bit of marijuana in his luggage. Yes, some people will smuggle drugs into Mexico ….. But officer, I shouldn’t be in trouble. It’s a product of your country. That’s why I didn’t bring our homegrown stuff like my friend.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 4:20 pm

      But Kramer says this doesn’t happen!

  8. Kramer Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 3:57 pm

    It sounds like you rejected him because of his skin color. Nobody smuggles drugs into Colombia dude.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 4:19 pm

      “It was like I was swimming through a flabby-armed spanking machine.”

      • 747always Reply
        March 29, 2023 at 11:38 pm

        That’s gold Mathew!

    • E.E. Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 4:30 pm

      Hey Kramer — Do your Laugh Factory act for us!

      • Kramer Reply
        March 28, 2023 at 5:28 pm

        Google “Seinfeld Lost Episode – Kramer At The Laugh Factory”

    • BoardingAreaFlukie Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 5:11 pm

      Gold frequently is smuggled into Colombia as that is one of the most common money laundering commodities. Even a handful of coins can be worth over $100,000.

  9. derek Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 4:16 pm

    40 years ago, a relative was going to Easter Island and approached by someone at the gate to carry a bag. The relative agreed. However, they both walked onto the plane together and the other guy carried that extra bag (but being ready to explain that it was his bag carried under my carry on allowance). Still, I wouldn’t recommend that in 2023.

  10. JoeMart Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 4:58 pm

    If you watched Midnight Express you know the answer to your question.

  11. Maryland Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 5:01 pm

    “Shudder” cannot imagine you in a Columbian prison. Excuse me now while I clean up the wine I knocked over from laughing

    • GUWonder Reply
      March 29, 2023 at 7:02 am

      Some Ivy League School-educated Jewish Colombian-American got a reduced US federal court sentence — for financial crimes — a couple of years back because the US federal district court judge in the SDNY felt sort of bad that the guy had been raped repeatedly during his US-ordered pre-trial detention in a Colombian prison even as there was no crime committed in Colombia.

      American prisons are bad, but Latin American ones are a whole lot worse. And some governments aren’t beyond trying to creatively land their own citizens in foreign prison as part of pressure campaigns.

  12. Jason G Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 5:06 pm

    I’m a recycler. I have bins for paper, plastic, and things that never happened. We all know which bin this one went in. I live in Colombia and literally hate when people stigmatize Colombia based on the past. It’s bad enough when people ask “aren’t you worried about being kidnapped?” The people here are amazing, the country is beautiful, and tourism can save this country. Even though this “didn’t” happen in London, the seed is planted to hurt Colombia. Be better.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 29, 2023 at 1:14 am

      Sorry I touched a nerve, but I don’t write about stories that did not happen. Thanks for playing. Next time, be better.

    • The Wiz Reply
      March 29, 2023 at 5:33 pm

      Jason, they’re not stigmatizing it for the past. Coca production is at record highs there and the ELN just attacked a military base. Wake up.

  13. Scott Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 5:09 pm

    Probably could have offered to choose the bag you carry for him rather than have him give you one.
    In any event, I think I’d deny the request as well.

  14. Mr Marcus Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 6:17 pm

    So did the dude get on the flight with the silver backpack himself? or did he check it?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 9:24 pm

      I boarded first to get my pictures, so I can’t say.

  15. Gravelly Point Guy Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 7:18 pm

    So finally what happened to the guy?!! Did you run into him onboard??? Did you see him boarding the flight with the bag??? What happened then?!

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 9:24 pm

      Didn’t see him again. I was seated in row 1 and this guy (and mama) weren’t flying business class.

  16. Criminal Law Expert Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 7:25 pm

    It’s cash, or an asset that can easily be liquidated. Drugs in, cash out.

    • Mr. Marcus Reply
      March 28, 2023 at 9:20 pm

      I wouldn’t have taken the guys bag onto the plane, or carried anyone else’s baggage for any reason really, but here’s what I don’t get– help me understand the con– if it’s cash in the bag, that’s only a problem on arrival in Bogota, not when boarding in London, right?

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        March 28, 2023 at 9:21 pm

        Since UK doesn’t have exit controls, I’m really not sure about the rules concerning the export of money.

      • Criminal Law Expert Reply
        March 28, 2023 at 10:53 pm

        UK export regulations still require a declaration 72 hours in advance when leaving with cash/currency amounts in excess of £10,000, hence the motivation to hand it off if at risk of being stopped.

        • Mr. Marcus Reply
          March 29, 2023 at 10:00 pm

          Thank you for the informative response. It seems to be only a small risk– how many times does someone’s carryon get searched after boarding? But, still no reason to carry someone else’s bag.

  17. Interested Traveler Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 7:41 pm

    @Matthew, it is possible, there was money in that bag.

    The cartels have had issues get money back to Columbia and they were trying to get you to mule back money.

    It also could be harmless or just plain old clock bait

    Regardless, twas interesting.

  18. MeanMeosh Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 7:46 pm

    I dunno, I think it would have been kind of fun watching you on the next episode of To Catch a Smuggler: Colombia.

  19. Tom Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 8:02 pm

    Seems to me you should have reported it to the airline people.

  20. Santastico Reply
    March 28, 2023 at 9:52 pm

    Watch “Stolen Away” on Netflix and you will get a sample of what it looks like inside a prison in Latin America. I would never ever carry anything for anyone. However, in your case it was probably just someone not familiar with traveling and when they announced 1 bag per person plus a personal item the guy freaked out. Did he bring the bag inside himself? If he did, it was probably nothing but I would never help.

  21. Felipe Reply
    March 29, 2023 at 2:22 am

    As a Colombian and as global frequent traveller you did well!! And the title is right, no offense taken. It happened time ago many times… but not only in Colombia,I had the weird request from a French guy in Thailand…… we even used to be advised when leaving Colombia back in those times to not even hols conversation with strangers inside the plane, always eat and drink…. you did right, maybe it was nothing, but Inreally doubt any colombian would have agreed… and would have replied with a: Estás loco? . If you travel with excess baggage, then pay for it, if you have issues go and talk with the company at the gate….

  22. Sam Reply
    March 29, 2023 at 2:28 am

    Calm down.

    You were not asked to be a mule.

    You were asked to take somebody’s extra carry-on onto the plane for them so they weren’t stopped at boarding.

    You were perfectly within your rights (and probably quite sensible) to say no, but I really don’t think it was anything beyond someone trying to not get in trouble for having too mucb stuff.

  23. Andy Reply
    March 29, 2023 at 3:49 am

    Where‘s the problem?
    The guy already passed security and customs in UK. No one asked you to go through customs in Colombia with his bag. So the risk is rather low, I assume.

  24. hvf1975 Reply
    March 29, 2023 at 12:26 pm

    Unfortunately as a frequent flyer I got this article in my feed. The title is contradictory of the story since it assumes you knew for sure what was in the bag. You were just asked a very awkward question and probably did right by refusing. Good for you to get some clicks using cheap baits and Colombia’s history

  25. Jerry Reply
    March 29, 2023 at 1:25 pm

    Did you actually see white powder in the bag? I don’t fault you for saying “no,” I would have done the same, but unless you saw something nefarious, it’s most likely he just wanted you to carry the bag onboard and return it to him… possibly even on the jet bridge.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 29, 2023 at 1:26 pm

      No, the italics are me being facetious.

      • Jerry Reply
        March 29, 2023 at 2:47 pm

        Duh, my bad! Hopefully he found a mule.

  26. Nick Reply
    March 29, 2023 at 8:13 pm

    I thought you were seated at the lounge and boarded shortly after arriving at the gate. Should I have said hi

  27. CommonSense Reply
    March 29, 2023 at 8:48 pm

    You never miss an opportunity to totally lie out your rear end to make every little thing some big deal for the idiot masses that eat your BS up now do you.

  28. Loren Reply
    March 29, 2023 at 11:25 pm

    Normally I like your articles but this is tacky and not informative.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 30, 2023 at 4:05 am

      We’re sorry to disappoint.

  29. Mikko Reply
    March 30, 2023 at 2:06 am

    Rookie.
    “Oh yes I would absolutely love to help”
    Grab bag.
    “Just need to run to the bathroom real quick”
    Profit.

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