The Smuggler Next Door: Risk-Takers in a Music Festival

Abstract

There is abundant research concentrating on the use of drugs at music festivals. It has been studied by numerous researchers that are focusing on the music festival organized in Australia, Portugal, Switzerland, Canada, and many more. However, less attention has been given to those people who are willing to take the risk of smuggling drugs into a music festival. Therefore, this study aims to explore the reasons and methods used by the people known as the risk-taker when they smuggle drugs into a music festival. On a side note, countries like the United States and Europe offer on-site drug checks known as the Drug Information and Monitoring System (DIMS) for attendees before entering the music festival. However, in Malaysia, being in possession of drugs is prohibited and severe punishment will be imposed on the drug owner. Issues of how certain people are willing to take the risk of smuggling drugs are addressed. This study adopts an exploration approach used in the qualitative method involving semi-structured interviews with informants. The results revealed that there are few methods used by the risk-taker to smuggle drugs into the music festivals. Unexpectedly, the results reveal that the security system at the music festival is inefficient. This is because it has been discovered that the risk-takers oftentimes have repeatedly smuggled drugs prior to the interviews conducted. Given the fascinating method shared by the risk-taker, future research should take into consideration different views of the informants, according to their ages. It is because the researcher has limited contact with people who have experienced smuggling drugs to music festivals. Snowball sampling is not practical to use for this study as the informants were reluctant to give the other smugglers contact due to private and confidential issues. In conclusion, the authors affirm that this study may contribute to the debate on the possibility of having DIMS at Malaysian music festivals and a recommendation of a risk management plan relating to drugs or illegal substances for music festival organizers.