But the case of Victor Twartz, a retired surgeon from Sydney, Australia, has prompted police to warn travellers to be wary of becoming unwitting drugs mules.
Twartz faces a possible life sentence if he is convicted of bringing 4.5 kilogrammes of cocaine, hidden in soap bars, into Sydney Airport on a flight from New Delhi, India.
A search of Twartz's luggage found 27 packages of soap which tested positive for cocaine.
Sold in individual grams, the drugs could fetch up to £1million on the street.
Twartz told Australian Broadcasting Corporation he had met people in New Delhi whom he had befriended online.
As he was about to board his plane to return to Sydney, he said he was handed a bag that he was told contained gifts for someone in Australia.
As Twartz left court, a reporter asked if he had been taken advantage of.
He replied: "Always, always."
Police have not said whether Twartz was an unwitting drug courier but Australian Federal Police manager Wayne Buchhorn warned that unwittingly bringing drugs into Australia could result in charges.
