A tourist from Liverpool claims criminals in Mexico gave him a pass to show to police if he was caught with drugs.
The man recently returned from an all inclusive trip to Mexico with friends and family. He said that he encountered drug sellers on the hotel beach who operated from a shack. He agreed to buy cannabis and cocaine from the dealers on a daily basis.
He said that the dealers gave him transfer stickers to put on his phone, which he was to produce if he was stopped by police. The man, who asked not be named, said: "So I wanted to buy in bulk for ten days but they said no buy on a daily basis. I said there prices were a bit high but they told me the quality was high. And they were right.
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"After a couple of days they gave me some transfer stickers to put on my phone. They told me to show them in case I was stopped by police at any point. I was told that the stickers meant I had bought drugs from the cartel."
The Liverpool man used the stickers when a friend of his was caught smoking cannabis by police on the beach. He said: "One lad had been rowing with his girlfriend and went on the beach for a smoke. The police caught him and were around him so I went over to help. I showed them the stickers and they just shrugged and walked away."
The Liverpool man was also warned by the drug sellers not buy cannabis from street vendors outside of the hotel complex. He said: "They told me that the cartel would kill anyone seen selling drugs to tourists outside of the hotel grounds."
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FC)) advises British tourists visiting Mexico to avoid drugs and to be alert to street and violent crime. The official guidance reads: "The security situation can pose a risk for foreigners. Be alert to the existence of street crime as well as serious violent crime like robbery, assault and vehicle hijacking. Do not become involved with drugs of any kind.
"Drug related crime and violence is prevalent and is on the increase. You should take particular care to avoid being caught up in violence between criminal groups."
The FCO also warns tourists that cartel related violence can break out in major destinations. The guidance reads: "The Mexican government makes efforts to protect major tourist destinations. However, since the beginning of 2021, there have been several clashes between rival criminal gangs in popular tourist destinations in Cancun and surrounding areas. While tourists have not been the target, anyone in the vicinity of an incident could be affected."
The ECHO approached the Mexican authorities for comment on this story. For all the latest travel advice on visiting Mexico go here
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