What happens if you send drugs through the mail?

If you get caught sending or receiving illegal drugs in the mail or through a parcel service like FedEx or UPS, you could be facing federal felony drug trafficking charges. It could mean years in prison and heavy fines.

What happens if USPS finds drugs in a package?

This means that if there an illegal act is committed through the USPS system, it is classified as a felony. Both the drug sender and recipient will face penalties. If the recipient was aware that the package contained illicit substances, then they are considered just as guilty as the person who mailed it.

Do packages get checked for drugs?

Postal inspectors can screen packages to check for drugs like marijuana and other substances. Some people may attempt to send drugs through the mail because they believe the Fourth Amendment protects them from having their packages searched.

Is it risky to send drugs in the mail?

Penalties Under State and Federal Law

If you are charged with mailing drugs or other banned substances through the U.S. postal service or across state lines, not only will you face criminal charges in the state of North Carolina, but you will also face federal drug charges, which often have even harsher penalties.

Do people ship drugs through the mail?

Drug traffickers ship illegal drugs throughout the United States through virtually any form of transportation.

Why Drug Dealers are Choosing the United States Postal Service - Cheddar Explains

What happens if FedEx finds drugs in a package?

For instance, when a private third-party shipping company, like FedEx, figures out the package contains suspicious content, like cash, ammunition, or drugs like weed or prescription drugs, they can take the package out of its normal shipping cycle and inform about it to the law enforcement agency.

How do you hide drugs in the mail?

In fact, traffickers are using soup and paints cans, trash receptacles and other products to conceal the shipments. Drug smugglers have also recently used shipments of frozen goat meat, salt and pepper shakers, jukeboxes, garden hoses, bras, wigs and even a live dog as places of concealment.

How do packages get flagged?

Mail may be flagged if the letter or package is stained or is leaking. According to a USPS brochure, reused packaging and boxes are only acceptable when all markings and labels are removed or completely marked out.

Can USPS packages be searched?

Can Postal Inspectors open mail if they feel it may contain something illegal? 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.

Do you get in trouble if your package is seized?

You may be subject to penalties up to the value of the genuine merchandise based on the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). These can be quite high and would require a separate petition filing to mitigate these fines down. Note you may not receive a penalty notice until way after the seizure case was closed.

What makes a FedEx package suspicious?

A suspicious package is a mail item of unknown contents which can potentially cause injury or destruction or is designed to appear threatening in nature.

How long does it take for FedEx to investigate a package?

Most cases are resolved between 5-7 business days after your claim form has been received, unless additional time for research is required.

How do you pack drugs for shipping?

Does UPS or FedEx check packages for drugs?

At FedEx and UPS, officers often gain permission to monitor packages at the site. In some cases, an employee at FedEx or UPS will call the police to alert them to a suspicious package. In other cases, a K9 drug dog might “alert” to a suspicious package.

Can you send drugs via UPS?

Medicines are prohibited. Customers must use an authorized UPS / MBE (Mail Boxes Etc) Store or UPS Customer Center to ship personal effects.

Does UPS open and inspect packages?

Right of Inspection

UPS reserves the right to open and inspect any package tendered to it for transportation.

What will tracking say if a package has been seized?

The package might get scanned with the message “Seized by Law Enforcement” but it is also possible that there will be no message.

How do you ship drugs in the mail?

ONLY entities that are registered with the DEA are eligible to send drugs through the mail. There are “mail-back” exceptions if a drug company mails you drugs of the wrong type or quantity, in which case you can mail them back to the pharmaceutical company. Otherwise you may noy mail prescription drugs in the mail.

Are there drug dogs at USPS?

Employees are trained to identify certain characteristics of packages which may indicate illegal contents. Drug sniffing dogs are used on occasion at certain facilities, as deemed appropriate by the US Postal Inspection Service.

Are USPS packages Xrayed?

Is Mail X-Rayed? Some of the mail that is sent through the United States Postal Service will pass through an X-Ray machine. There are no specific guidelines as to what may or may not be x-rayed, though mail sent to or through larger cities is likely to pass through an X-Ray machine.

What makes a USPS package suspicious?

Misspelled common words. No return address or strange return address. Unusual addressing, such as not being addressed to a specific person or the use of incorrect titles or titles with no name. Restrictive markings, such as “personal,” “confidential,” or “do not x-ray”

How do you ship discreetly?

Traditional discreet shipping

Think brown cardboard boxes, single-color paper, and labels that don't discuss what's inside. It's also possible to use unmarked postal service boxes, especially flat-rate boxes, to conceal the contents. These are smart because you also get expedited options without raising any eyebrows.

Do they scan packages in the mail?

Carriers are supposed to scan a package at the delivery location after either delivering or attempting to deliver the package. This scan “stops the clock,” indicating USPS has met its delivery commitment. Anyone tracking a package would see that delivery was made or attempted.

How do I know if my package was intercepted?

Customer status should be provided by phone or email. Customers may also check the status of their request by looking out for the "Customer Recall" scan event using the Track & Confirm tool on USPS.com.

What are 3 examples of a suspicious package?