A SCOTS traveller who has become famed for his outrageous journeys to places such as Afghanistan claims he was asked to become a “spy” during a meeting in an airport.
Callum Mills, better known online as Callum Abroad, has explored many of the world’s most dangerous countries and recounted the tale when appearing on the Have a Word podcast last week.
The 29-year-old from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire recalled how he was approached by “two guys in suits” whilst waiting to board his flight to Islamabad, Pakistan earlier this year.
The former nursing student was then given a proposal by the men who asked for his email before letting him go.
The clip begins with Callum sitting in the studio of the podcast as he claims that the two men took him out of the queue for boarding and into a private room.
The seasoned traveller says: “I’m trying to get to the departure lounge and these two guys in blue suits come up to me like ‘Callum?’
“I step aside, ‘My colleague has seen your TikTok videos, you sure get about’ I was like aye, and he was like ‘So you’re going to Islamabad? Is it just YouTube you do? Are you working for anybody?’
“I said no and he says, ‘Right on you go sit down’.”
Callum recalls he entered the interrogation room at Heathrow before the men asked more questions surrounding how much footage he collects.
He says: “They said ‘You must get a lot of footage, even footage that you might delete that you don’t even put in your video. Do you know that footage would be very useful to us?’ I’m like ‘Right’.”
At this stage having listened to the story so far, podcast hosts Adam Rowe and Dan Nightingale interject with their own theory.
They say: “So they’re trying to make you an operative then surely, yeah?”
Callum replies: “He was like ‘Would you mind keeping in touch with us weekly on your travels via different means?’
“I was like ‘Nah you’re alright mate’ and he was like ‘Oh I think you will’.
“I was like ‘No I won’t’ and he’s like ‘What’s your email address’ so I’m thinking I’ll just give him my email address and I’ll just not answer it.”
This leaves the hosts chuckling as they comment: “Modern day James Bond [is] not quite as intimidating as it’s made out to be, is it? Give us your email address.”
Host Adam jokes about the back and forth saying: “You are going to be a spy for us, no I’m not, you f***ing are, no I’m not, what the f**k?”
Callum reveals that a few weeks after leaving the airport for his trip to Pakistan he received correspondence from the men.
The former student nurse says: “A couple of weeks later I got an email ‘Hi Callum, how’s your travels?’ It was just like a series of numbers and digits.
“I just didn’t answer it, I didn’t answer it and I’ve not heard anything since.”
A producer interjects asking: “So you know that they’re watching you though?”
The well-travelled Scotsman takes a moment to think before answering: “Well when I go to certain countries, I know they’re watching me.”
However, the producer interjects saying: “I think they’re watching you in this country.”
Callum seems unfazed by the potential tracking, saying: “Potentially, well I’m banned from America at the minute because they see me as a threat due to my travels.
“I’ve never had a parking ticket in my life, but I’m banned so I’ve got a meeting with the US Consulate in Belgium to sit down and show them the videos to see if they’ll let me in.”
The video was shared on social media last night with the caption: “Spy interview.”
It received thousands of likes and dozens of comments from social media users who were left astounded by Callum’s nonchalant nature over the claims.
One commented: “I’ve seen his videos, kicks about in crazy places. Mad respect.”
Another added: “If they want your footage, they probably have it.”
A third commented: “Big set of bollax (sic) on this lad, fair play.”
