DrugBuyers.Com: Ordering meds and customs

Since seizures are a civil mattter, and not criminal actions, I would wager that any such recordkeeping by Customs would be subject to the federal Privacy Act. Therefore, unless you are the target of a criminal investigation, you could receive any records that Customs maintains on you. Search around in the privacy newsgroups on USENET and it should be easy to find a form letter that you can fill out and send to Customs invoking your rights under that law. This letter needs to include identifying information such as your DOB and SSN and it should be notarized by someone who checked your ID. The agency has only a certain number of days to respond and either give you all they have on you or explain why they can't. They can withhold information that is classified and they can withhold information that is part of an open criminal investigation.

It's like a FOIAA request, except they are only supposed to give someone's records to the subject ... and they'll only do it if it's requested using the proper form and content. Simply asking for your records cannot be interpreted as evidence of criminal conduct ... though if there *were* a criminal investigation, your request could be entered into evidence at trial. But if they targeted you for investigation solely because you exercised your Privacy Act rights, you could claim unlawful selective prosecution under the Equal Protection clause. Getting your records from government agency is a *right*. Congress passed that law after the abuses of Richard Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover where they kept files on people to have leverage over them, including many members of Congress. Congress was pissed! The Privacy Act was passed primarily to serve as a check on the power of the Executive Branch, of which Customs and Homeland Security is a part.

Re bar codes on the mail ... if you'll notice the mail that comes to you, USPS will often print a bar code of your ZIP+4 or Z+? on the bottom of the envelope, and sometimes on both sides. This is for the automatic sorting machinery. It has absolutely nothing to do with Customs. They print this bar code sometimes even if the address is handwritten. The machinery apparently can "read" much handwriting ... or else they must have someone type the address.

To stay up on the latest technology used by Customs, visit their web site. They usually post their Commissioner's regular testimony to Congress and they usually post about it when they add new technology for inspecting the mail. They would often say where the newest machines are installed. Until recently it was all there for the public.

Now that Customs is part of Homeland Security, they may be more tight-lipped. It's worth checking out, regardless. I think that this is an area where there could be explosive (pun intended) growth for the companies that make these machines.

If you're concerned with privacy, one thing to be aware of is an "anti-money-laundering" system that USPS has put into place for postal money orders. They can trace any money order from the place/time of purchase to the bank account in which it is later deposited. The system works in many overseas countries as part of how U.S. postal money orders are cleared as deposited checks. They can also work backwards and practically every post office in the country will have you on video when the money order is purchased. Those videos are archived on computer files. USPS money orders are not private. They had a security guy from USPS on NPR bragging about this new system that went live last year.

Trampy

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Your mileage may vary ...

Edited by Trampy (09/27/03 04:36 PM)