Border Security, Border Patrol, etc - Learn the do's and don't of mailing

Mikell · Jan 6, 2015

An interesting watch for anyone shipping across borders.

Most of it is bunkum, foreign workers trying to by-pass work visa, drug mules and bumbling travellers with criminal records. About five minutes of every episode documents mail handling facilities.

All in all, worth the price of a puff and half hour, at least for a few episodes.

The New Zealand version is an eye opener. Protecting their country from the scourge of vegetable seeds... I get a real kick when they pull something for potential biological contamination. Just remove the offending item from the luggage and it's good to go? As if the entire piece of luggage (and traveller) isn't potentially laced with insect eggs, microbes, fungal spores, etc.

dddaver · Jan 7, 2015

MY EYES, MY EYES! I think I'm going blind! :biggrin:

Watch something?

stoned-trout · Jan 7, 2015

whats new Zealand got against vegetables .....lol...I have actually heard about them being real strict

GreeeeN GRassss · Jan 7, 2015

Australias mail is so strict you cant get a chicken cuppa soup through. our parcels always got searched coming in.

even going through customs there they check for soil on your football boots.

the inside of the plane is sprayed with some sort of bug killer before you land.

hoss1111 · Jan 28, 2015

I sent my buddy seeds to Spain from canada. On the declaration I wrote pepper seeds. Think I screwed up?

blastfrompast · Jan 28, 2015

I had some "Mixed Annual - Spring Mix" seed packets made up a few years ago..

So if I ship I toss the seeds in there along with a bunch of other crap seeds from one of those 1kg of "springtime flower seeds" shake and grow containers.

Dude on the other end knows what pot seeds look like, so he can pick them out... And plant the others if he wants.

hoss1111 · Jan 28, 2015

Should be good man!

Mikell · Jan 28, 2015

Red rider was trying to do the same thing shipping from Columbia and they opened the package in the post office

Not to say that would happen here, it's just a funny story to read through.

hoss1111 said:
I sent my buddy seeds to Spain from canada. On the declaration I wrote pepper seeds. Think I screwed up?

Yes and no. Spain I think is fine, but they are a large producer of export produce and could have similar restrictions as NZ or AUS, who will open the package to verify. Peppers account for a significant portion of their produce exports, it might be worth looking in to if anything comes up. At the same time it's Spain, they're pretty lax in general and it'll most likely be fine.

The US is fine, and probably the UK. I've posted to US under pepper seeds a few times without issue.

FWIW, the new regulations only concern parcels (re:declaration). Everything under can still be posted internationally without a declaration. The rate calculator, a scale and ruler keep you out of the PO.

hoss1111 · Jan 28, 2015

I guess because of the size I had to declare. What should I mark down next time I send internationally ?

Mikell · Jan 28, 2015

Anything non-organic. If it gets x-rayed or sniffed, you're screwed either way. Parcels still have a fairly high success rate if everything is in order.

Numbers wise, the bulk of mail is still undeclared non-parcels. Picture envelopes, small bubble wrappers, etc, can hold more seeds than you'll ever need to mail privately or commercially. Mass quantity is a different game. I can't recall off hand, but the sizing requirements at Canadian PO's are around 8 and 15mm, any thicker and it goes to parcel. 8-15mm only changes postage.

hoss1111 · Jan 28, 2015

You're right I will make them thinner for outside canada.

I'll report if the Spain package makes it, if not it will be reset in a thinner package.

armedoldhippy · Jan 29, 2015

"x-rayed or sniffed" I cannot remember where I read it, but I have read that dogs will not alert on seeds if the coating is pulled off of it. isn't a LOT of birdseed hemp seed? I read that it is irradiated to make it non-viable. looks like mixing live seed in with bird seed might get if through; they all look alike, but only certain seeds would sprout...

GreeeeN GRassss · Jan 29, 2015

is there really that much of a smell off cannabis seeds ?

hoss1111 · Jan 29, 2015

No and properly packaged would be nothing.

Mikell · Jan 29, 2015

It's a drug sniffing dog, I highly doubt there is much that gets past them. Seeds don't smell much or at all to us, but they're covered in THC unless washed thoroughly. That faint wiff is an unwrapped 100 pack to a trained dog.

Organic material shows up as a variance on X-ray, generally enough for a border crossing not concerned about biological contamination to pull aside for further inspection.

The average grower and their entire residence are covered in trace THC. Without extremely sanitary conditions the entire package will be contaminated.

Bird seed is a good idea for general stealth.

Granted there's probably over 80-90% chance of a package making it no matter how it's packed, even if it's just a bit of bubble in a small parcel with no concealment. Mail handling is high volume/short duration, it's not hard to get lost in the numbers. What I recommend is just what I do to guarantee around 99.99%.

hoss1111 · Jan 30, 2015

Again good points man

mack 10 · Jan 30, 2015

I have been through airport x rays with seeds inside by g pen case.
The only thing that showed up was my dabber..lol
Was kinda funny. She asked "what's that ? "
Just my dabber..," show me", she says.
As I opened the g pen case about 15 packs of seeds fall everywhere..
Should of seen her face...
She was pissed when her boss told her to give them me back..
He he.

Gotta love Spanish airports.

Mikell · Jan 30, 2015

noyd666 · Jan 30, 2015

have seen them delivered in vial of mixed coloured small craft beads. hard to find :biggrin:

RetroGrow · Jan 30, 2015

Mikell said:
It's a drug sniffing dog, I highly doubt there is much that gets past them. Seeds don't smell much or at all to us, but they're covered in THC unless washed thoroughly. That faint wiff is an unwrapped 100 pack to a trained dog.

Organic material shows up as a variance on X-ray, generally enough for a border crossing not concerned about biological contamination to pull aside for further inspection.

The average grower and their entire residence are covered in trace THC. Without extremely sanitary conditions the entire package will be contaminated.

Bird seed is a good idea for general stealth.

Granted there's probably over 80-90% chance of a package making it no matter how it's packed, even if it's just a bit of bubble in a small parcel with no concealment. Mail handling is high volume/short duration, it's not hard to get lost in the numbers. What I recommend is just what I do to guarantee around 99.99%.

Dogs don't hit on THC. They hit on a certain terpene. Forget which one.

Border Security, Border Patrol, etc - Learn the do's and don't of mailing

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