This warrant allows police officers to open your package. In order to open the package, the USPS must first obtain a warrant to do so if they suspect narcotics inside. Effective crypto trading habits to adopt in 2023, How Marketing Automation Can Increase Marketing ROI, What Does 4 Fingers Mean in General, Tiktok & Snapchat | Holding it up, How to Remember Every Game of Thrones Character. . In FY 2016, Postal Service inspectors seized mailcontaining more than 37,000 pounds of illegal drugs and $23.5 million in suspected drug-trafficking proceeds nationwide. Advertisement Postal inspectors can screen packages to check for drugs like marijuana and other substances. 801971, then the mailing of any controlled substance through the U.S. While the Fourth Amendment protects First-Class mail from being read without a search, the consequences shipping forbidden materials is a crime are not worth the risk. If Option A or B Happened, and the USPS merely sent you a letter because you mailed some marijuana chalk it up as a loss and do a better job packaging your marijuana. Specially trained inspectors from the United States Postal Inspection Service lead the charge in package inspection. Dont forget that even if you X-Ray something, it still can be opened and the contents will still be discovered. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. As a result, the USPS may scan or x-ray parcels to protect either provision of public health & safety. Many of our clients are completely innocent and need an attorney to explain their side of the story after someone tries to mail them drugs. How reliable is . If they can not read the barcode and the tracking number is missing they will deliver it without the scan. The United States Postal Service (USPS) will be able to open and search any postmarked package as long as they have reason to suspect it contains an illegal substance. Can you picture this as a Postal Service advertisement: "USPS the preferred shipper for almost all drug dealers!". Is the USPS going to scan parcels in 2022? What Happens If USPS Finds Drugs in a Package? New weapon in fight against opioid epidemic; Matt Finn reports from Chicago. The buyer often requests that the packages are sent to neighbors and unsuspecting friends, family, and co-workers. Get Directions. Will USPS be able to tell if Im shipping alcohol? U.S. The OIG also recommends that the USPS repackage all suspect parcels in scent-proof packaging, a trick which Canada Post uses to prevent illegal weed packages from being stolen by their own employees. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. If drugs are found, a "controlled delivery" of the package will be conducted by undercover officers. An incorrect or incomplete address can cause your package to get stuck in transit. In fact, the post office says many items never get screened at all. Most likely, something was off with your package and they have set it aside. You can, however, send over-the-counter drugs through the mail anything that does not require a prescription. Besides, Does USPS scan packages [] I think maybe if I tried calling, it might have been more clear. Many expect that as the darknet marketplaces grow, more people will be purchasing drugs and other contraband online. According to a USPS brochure, reused packaging and boxes are only acceptable when all markings and labels are removed or completely marked out. Copyright 2020 - 2022 Webnews21 (GMW). FedEx, UPS, and DHL all specify in their terms of service that they reserve the right to open and inspect any package at their own discretion. Under federal laws, drug trafficking charges for prescription drugs are up to: This is from a Former Postmaster from USPS, who says: Postal Inspectors may not open mail while it is considered mail. Lets say that you were not mailing illegal substances. Imagine if individuals were exporting burdened weapons or cases of poorly packed glass coffee cups daily. Penalties if you get caught shipping edibles are based on weight. Furthermore, if the contents do include illicit substances, USPS can go after the sender, and may even set up an undercover sting to deliver to the recipient. USPS is a federal entity; thus, using its service to commit any criminal act is a felony. Postal Inspectors investigate any crime with a nexus to the mail. Your attorney can explain the reason that you didnt know that the drugs, marijuana, currency or other contraband were being shipped to your residence or place of business. Some of the more common controlled substances mailed through the United States Post Office include the following items: If you look only at marijuana seized in pounds each fiscal year by the US Postal Inspection Service, the following statistics have been released: In FY 2001, Postal Inspectors arrested 1,662 individuals for drug trafficking and money laundering via the U.S. Mail. Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Its not necessary to have one when you are carrying out an act of civil disobedience. The only way to avoid being scanned by USPS is to hand-deliver your box to the recipients front door. | Creative Founders, Inconsistencies in Email Addresses, Links & Domain Names. USPS will send you a letter telling you that they couldnt deliver your package. Scanning adds protection capacity to the USPSs legal limitations, which dissuades most but not all. Manage Settings Registered Mail is the most secure way to send a package through the USPS. Postal Inspection Service offices nationwide. Forensic Laboratory Services of the USPIS. In other cases, we represent the person accused of placing the package in the mail. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this website. But, USPS does not scan your packages for drugs with a machine. In this case, the drug packages did not cross state lines. Nevertheless, of how many complaints USPS receives about their parcels, keep in mind that they handle hundreds of products every day. Naturally, the Postal Service has specific factors it watches for in parcels which can tip them off that there is an illegal substance contained within. The potential penalties double for a second offense - up to ten years and a fine of up . We understand the rules that govern how the U.S. Does USPS Scan or X-Ray Packages? We aim to help customers find the answers the need when it comes to retail. Postal inspectors in Florida and throughout the United States investigate the shipment of illegal drugs, firearms, and other forms of contraband through the U.S. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Prescription drugs are not allowed to be sent through the mail by everyday citizens, even if the person sending them is the prescription holder. Sending controlled substances through the mail (without a license) is illegal. For cases in Florida and the greater Tampa Bay areas, contact us to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss the case in our offices. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. From these cases, 1,785 criminals were convicted of the charges brought against them. Carriers use a handheld Mobile Delivery Device (MDD) to scan and transmit package tracking data. Weve shipped and got hundreds of products (the majority of which were successfully tracked) with very few problems. (2) The weight of the package. Call us to schedule a time to talk with the attorneys in the office or over the phone. If drugs are found, a controlled delivery of the package will be conducted by undercover officers. Obviously that is not the full story, so for all the facts, including whether USPS can arrest you for mailing drugs, how USPS checks for them, whether prescriptions are okay and much more, keep reading below for all you need to know! You can get felony charges at the state level and federal levels for receiving drugs. Then, they will physically and visually scan them. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This means that if USPS finds weed in the mail, they cant just open your package. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. USPS entirely prohibits the shipment of alcohol, while FedEx and UPS allow for it with some restrictions. Call 1-877-876-2455. You may be asked questions, and you may be asked for your name, nationality, and reason for being in the United States. That letter might prevent the agent from coming to your home or place of business to interrogate you about the facts of the case. These cases are investigated by agents with the U.S. Prescriptions drugs can be sent with a prescription from your Doctor through the mail. What Should You Do If Youre Caught Mailing Drugs? If your currency was seized, we take the case on contingency so that you dont pay any attorney fees unless we get your property back. UPS does not require a warrant to search a package for drugs. A package can be sent to anywhere in the world you dont know who its sent to. Aside from straight-up tracking errors, there is a slew of other methods that USPS tracking might not be helpful. You will know if your package was intercepted if your USPS tracking says: Either scenario means that your package was intercepted by the postal inspector. They don't have authority to open them in normal processing. We run out of free consultations every month. (Price, Who Can Buy + More), How To Delete A Usps Account? Any individual shipping prescriptions will get charged with drug trafficking. Narcotics are controlled substances, while other drugs do not need a prescription. A package's outward form and weight may always be examined without reasonable suspicion of criminal . Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com. According to the USPS: first class letters and parcels are protected against search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, and, as such, cannot be opened without a search warrant.. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The Law Office of John Guidry writes that one way inspectors can have reasonable suspicion is to line up six boxes: the one that looks shady, plus five that do not . If you receive such a letter, consider contacting us to discuss the case BEFORE you call the 1-800 number or talk with an investigator. The Postal Services goal is to scan all barcoded mailpieces (flats, letters, and packages) that enter the mailstream and track those items with additional scans up to the point of delivery. UPS reserves the right to open and inspect any package deemed suspicious. Check out marijuana legalities by the state to see your local weed laws. Crunching the numbers, the Postal Service faces an enormous task in preventing the trafficking of illicit substances. What happens if USPS finds drugs in a package? Most of the packages have until the 18th to reach destination, but it never takes that long. Police officers to open your package to get stuck in transit call us to schedule time! 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