A package or goods that are prohibited or restricted from importing from a foreign source or one that requires a permit in order to enter the country can be taken (seized) by the United States Customs. This declaration has to include your complete and precise description of what is inside the package. At the Delivery Post Office as Hold for Pickup (but not to a PO Box). In the State of California, as well as in federal courts, you have the right to trial by jury. It took Mr. Hamer six weeks to obtain possession of his money, which came with an apology but no explanation. Once the merchandise is seized, the file is forwarded by the U.S. Customs officer to the Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures Office (FP&F). Throughout the process, he would touch base frequently, always be available for my questions and keep me on task with information he needed to do his job. We dont share your personal information with third-parties, except where required by law. Whether you are the importer or the exporter of goods that have been seized, our team of attorneys is well-versed to prepare solid defenses and provide successful representation in matters related to the seizure of shipping packages. This happens if the sender fails to properly declare the items. When U.S. Customs seizes your package, it has to decide whether to clear it and release it for shipping or detain it for further investigation. In the context of seized shipping packages, the term seizure refers to the act of physical possession of a shipped item or the transfer of control or custody from the package owner to the state or federal government. Asset forfeiture is confiscation of a persons property and is considered a form of criminal justice that is typically applied to the alleged proceeds of a crime. With available evidence in hand, your attorney will engage in settlement negotiations with the government. One difference is the Post Office cannot ship ammunition, but carriers such as FedEx or UPS are allowed to send these shipments. Jacek was able to help with his criminal case as well as getting his money back that was taken from him without any cause from the police. How you would know if your package is seized depends on the carrier you shipped with. This is because of a trade embargo imposed on Cuba by the U.S. Sometimes, even the slightest deviation from a legal statutory can make the difference between getting your seized item back and losing it forever. Packages being shipped can be seized at the port of entry into the United States if they have been illegally transported, or their customs duties are not paid correctly. You may think you have nothing to hide, but they can use anything you say against you in court as evidence, and they are very good at trying to get you to make the wrong statement. Never delivered. Remember, the police are not supposed to be your friend or help you in any possible way. Clients Say 10 Best Tech Gifts for Dad Under $50 on Amazon! Does customs notify you if they seize your package? The movement of agriculture across borders is heavily regulated. Main Address: 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. The FP&F Officer will send the suspected violator or all other interested . Even though this was just a small shipment, they handled it like it was the most important on their agenda. The governments website lists the various forms and letters related to CBSA enforcement actions and trade decisions for both individual travelers entering Canada and for commercial goods crossing the border and the associated actions taken. Ill go over the specific scenarios below, but there are really three possibilities. here for reprint permission. - Police investigated a package from Mr. Hamer being sent to Mr. Black with a Washington state address, - They claimed the phone number listed on the package had either been disconnected or was illegitimate, - The parcel had its ends taped and glued down, - The package contained a coffee bag and vacuum-sealed container with money orders totaling $6,000, - They stated the packaging on this shipment was overdone and included padding of foam, which they determined was used to confuse drug-sniffing dogs, - They believed because the sender paid for delivery in cash and was using money orders, it was done to avoid a paper trail.. He had receipts showing he had used his credit card to pay for the shipping, not cash. If your shipping package is seized, you will start by contacting the law enforcement agency, which is holding it. Held at Customs means the package you are sending to the destination country is held by the officials of the importer countrys customs office. The worst-case scenario is you may have a legal battle to face. The thing to understand is that not all packages that are seized represent criminal activity. The regulations and rules are somewhat the same for each, but there are some differences. If the K-9 show alert signs for the package, the police, in order to seize the package, may claim that the cash package must have been stored near large amounts of drugs for a reasonably long period. 1. How Can You Know if Customs Has Your Package? He explained the process to me and I understood that his vast experience and relationships gave me a higher likelihood of receiving my funds back. Should I be concerned? Instead, they can say that there was reason to believe that danger existed, and your package gets seized. If a violation does occur, U.S. Customs will seize the merchandise and transport it from the Centralized Examination Station to an official property warehouse. If a FedEx package is intercepted because it contains U.S. Currency, the tracking notes will eventually say delivered but the notes might indicate signed for by: POLICESEIZED. If you see that notation of POLICESEIZED or SEIZEDBYLEO, then you know that a law enforcement officer or agency took possession of the . What happens if a package is seized by customs in Canada? This also depends on the reason for seizure and detainment. Blair handled our case, and was in constant communication with updates, and got our shipment released within 24 hours, even though we were starting the process from scratch. Ultimately, there are really only two outcomes: customs releases your shipment, (hooray!) Why would law enforcement want to take your box? A Short History of Civil Forfeiture in California, Civil Forfeiture: The Impartial Pursuit of Justice and a Threat to Private Property, Criminal Asset Forfeiture Attorney vs. Civil Asset Forfeiture Attorney, Defending Criminal Asset Forfeitures in the United States, Seized Shipping Packages (FedEx, UPS, USPS). If you order a box of Cubans in the U.S., it definitely can be seized, and its not because of the cigars. Ill get into the specifics in a bit, but the idea is that law enforcement has the power to take packages. Should I respond to customs seizure letter? VDOM DHTML tml>. Countries are careful to prevent invasive species, disease vectors, and other problems from crossing a border via agriculture. If youre the sender of a package on its way to another country, that countrys customs office will contact the recipient if customs have seized that package. To submit your claim, you are required to have an actual interest in the seized package, which means you cannot make this claim for another party. These services include both small and large shipping services to many different businesses. Photo credit: zef art via Shutterstock. Thanks Amanda! The first is that regulations require them to seize the package. No, the specific meaning of this term is that law enforcement has taken custody of the package. Doing so will most likely result in an investigation or arrest as it is illegal to ship drugs through any federal or private carriers. Two weeks after the money was seized, and after Mr. Hamers attorney had written a letter of explanation for the funds, the police asked the court to forfeit the money to their department. We will definitely work with them again in the future hopefully though, not on an emergency basis! The package was seized by customs. Contacting the agency about such a shipment could result in an arrest or investigation as it is illegal to ship drugs through either private or federal carriers. File a claim and cost bond requesting that CBP immediately refer the case to the United States Attorney for court action; 3. CA. Because of that, you cant ship it from one state to another. Postal Service is bound by law to protect your package from seizure. For any other queries or concerns about the seized package, you should approach the FP&F office with the seizure number at the specific U.S. port of entry, where the package was seized. If the contents of a box are prohibited from shipping, then they are likely to get seized (assuming they are noticed). These packages will undergo a checking process and must comply with federal and state government regulations and rules. One of the most common reasons for seizure is that a package isnt cleared to get through customs. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. There may be fines or penalties that you have to settle. A seized package is not lost or stolen. CBP would ultimately hand over the 29-year-old woman to Homeland Security Investigations. What happens if customs seizes controlled substance package? I was wondering what could possibly happen if a group of people ordered fake id's online from china and the package got seized at customs. Example: How To Find Out If Your Package Is Stuck At Customs. You will want an attorney with you during this meeting so that you do not say anything incriminating that can later be used against you. THANK YOU!!. Documentation and information gaps can often be corrected at the origin location through process improvement, implementation, and training. Some tests damage the thing under suspicion, and other tests can even render the contents contaminated (ironic, right?). The first step in getting your goods back is to request a review. Without question, we will work with Amanda and BorderBuddy again in the future. If your package is seized, thenUSPS will automatically update the shipping statusto seized by law enforcement.. The irony is it means that authorities can enter a FedEx facility and seize packages as they see fit. You couldn't do better than attorney Jacek Lentz. Toll Free (877) 409-8163 [emailprotected]Whatsapp An Expert, Home What Happens If A Package Is Seized By Customs Canada. Blair handled our case, and was in constant communication with updates, and got our shipment released within 24 hours, even though we were starting the process from scratch. Using the evidence, your attorney can engage in settlement negotiations with the government agency involved in seizing your shipping package. Being a federal government agency, it must obey federal guidelines. Postal Service or by a private carrier, such as UPS or FedEx.While the rules and regulations for what can be shipped are somewhat the same,it comes with some exceptions, like the private carriers like FedEx and UPS can ship ammunition, but it is not allowed by USPS. This will eventually lead to a court trial where the Customs department has to prove the seizure was lawful. If a third-party shipping company has reason to believe a package contains suspicious material such as cash, ammunition, or drugs, they are allowed to take the package out of the regular shipping cycle.
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