A video showing a police officer in Pakistan allegedly sniffing a German backpacker's personal belongings during a train journey has gone viral on social media. The incident reportedly took place aboard the Green Line train travelling from Lahore to Karachi, where a Malaysian man and a German woman were travelling together.
The video, shared by the Malaysian man on Instagram, shows authorities first checking the travellers' tickets and passports before returning to their compartment minutes later to inspect their belongings. The officer is subsequently seen smelling several items taken from the woman's bag, including socks, clothes and a makeup kit, prompting questions and criticism from social media users.
Passports Photographed Before Belongings Checked
In the caption accompanying the video, the traveller described how the encounter unfolded. She wrote, "First, someone came and took photos of our passports. Just 10 minutes later, this happened…"
The video shows officials entering the compartment and checking the travellers' tickets before examining their passports. According to the backpacker's account, photographs of their passports were taken during the initial check.
Around 10 minutes later, the officials returned to the compartment. The video shows the Malaysian traveller being frisked and questioned about his belongings before the woman is asked to get up and submit her bag for inspection.
Cop Seen Smelling Clothes, Socks And Makeup Kit
The video then captures the officer going through the German woman's belongings and repeatedly smelling items pulled from her bag. These include her socks, clothes and makeup kit, with the officer appearing to sniff several items before moving on to the next.
The unusual inspection drew comparisons with the work of a sniffer dog, with several users questioning the purpose of smelling the traveller's personal belongings. However, the video alone does not establish why the officer carried out the inspection or whether any official explanation was provided.
'Sniffing Like A Dog': Netizens React
The video caused a range of reactions online, with several users questioning the officer's conduct and the nature of the inspection.
One user commented, "Sniffer", while another asked, "Checking for what??"
A separate user defended the inspection, arguing that security checks are routine in several countries. The comment read, "completely normal, and if you ain’t do nothing wrong nothing to be scared of, plus this ain’t america don’t worry they won’t shoot you, even if you get caught with drugs or something they still won’t shoot you and just so you know this happens in a lot of countries"
Another user criticised the officer's actions, commenting, "Sniffing like a dog what a pathetic constable ... He should be accountable for this ..."
The video has since drawn attention to the travellers' account of the encounter, particularly the photographing of their passports and the subsequent inspection of their personal belongings.
No official response from the Pakistani authorities regarding the incident was available in the account shared with the video.
