Harmless luggage help turns risky for young man on flight to UAE
Man shares experience of being almost framed for smuggling
SHAH ALAM - A young man recounted a harrowing experience on a recent flight to United Arab Emirates (UAE), narrowly escaping being implicated in an illegal activity due to a casual interaction with a fellow passenger.
In a post shared by a man named Abudi Alsagoff, he described that the situation began when a middle-aged woman asked for his help to lift her luggage.
However, he was fortunate that someone else stepped in to assist.
According to Abudi, he and the woman had chatted casually throughout their journey to Dubai without realising something was about to unfold.
He said the woman suddenly complained of a stomachache as the plane was about to land and asked him to accompany her and carry her personal belongings.
"After sitting down, the woman started chatting with me. We talked a lot throughout the flight, but just as the plane was about to land, she suddenly said she had a stomachache.
"She called me 'son' and held my hand tightly. Everyone thought we were related.
"One passenger whispered to me not to get too close and informed the cabin crew that I had no connection with this woman.
"She waited for a wheelchair, and I left. Not long after that, there was a commotion at the airport when it turned out she was carrying illegal items and tried to involve me in the matter," he said in his recent Facebook post.
The man said he was lucky because another passenger came forward to help and explained the situation to the police.
He added that the incident served as a major life lesson to always be cautious and never touch someone else's belongings, even if they seemed harmless.
"The police asked the woman to provide my full name, but she couldn't because I never shared it.
"My belongings were thoroughly inspected, but there was no connection to her items. In the end, I was released.
"Now, if anyone asks me to help lift their luggage, I will immediately call the cabin crew. I don't care if they think I'm being cold; this is all for personal safety," he added.
