dsmmcm
Board Addict
Reged: 11/08/03
Posts: 384
Loc: southwest US
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Hello Everyone,
Today my cat received a very small shipment of a schedule IV drug from a European IOP. The package was stamped OPENED BY US CUSTOMS FOR TARIFF PURPOSES (city removed). PASSED FREE.
Inside, the meds were still there, but a slip of paper with the following text was inserted:
WARNING
The Food and Drug Administration prohibits the importation, by mail or in person, of fraudulent prescription and non prescription drugs and medical devices. These may include unorthodox cures for medical conditions including cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis. While these drugs and devices may be completely legal elsewhere, they may not have been approved for use in the United States, even under a prescription issued by a foreign physician. They may not legally enter the United States and may be confiscated upon arrival by mail.
For additional information, contact you nearest Food and Drug Administration Office,
(address removed).
The package was resealed perfectly- I wouldnt have know that it was opened if they didnt tell me.
My question is: Why didnt they take it? Any ideas?
Thanks,
D
Edited by dsmmcm (06/30/04 04:15 PM)
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Larry_Rinker
Journeyman
Reged: 12/13/01
Posts: 88
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That's a very good question.
I think, at some point, we have to consider "The Human Factor" sometimes with this business. Look, we all know pr*cks at our workplaces and we also know compassionate people. Customs are filled with human workers. These people have GOT to be under some major stress these days with terrorist activity and such. Perhaps somebody just saw this small amount and thought "Heck .. you know .. I don't really care .. this does not effect me .. it does not effect National Security and I saw that report on ABC News about Seniors importing cheaper drugs blah blah blah".
You never know but sometimes we look at Customs like The Borg with indistinguishable personalties of cold, hard machines of denial.
There's gotta be some humans there somewhere.
Maybe you found one.
Just a theory ..
LR
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dsmmcm
Board Addict
Reged: 11/08/03
Posts: 384
Loc: southwest US
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Could be, LR. I was thinking that perhaps customs gets two shots at a package, one to check to make sure the package is duty free, and one to check for DEA related related issues. Perhaps the left hand doesn't talk to the right hand? It sure seems weird to me that the meds were not confiscated.
D
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theborg
Board Addict
Reged: 10/20/02
Posts: 314
Loc: Boston
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Quote:
You never know but sometimes we look at Customs like The Borg with indistinguishable personalties of cold, hard machines of denial.
HEY!....that was very hurtfull. 
Can I ask what IOP it was? I've been waiting 4 weeks for a package from Europe.
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I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me.
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nycalt
Reged: 05/04/04
Posts: 551
Loc: Manhattan, NYC
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I have heard a few similar stories of customs opening, but letting pass on with a small shipment of sched. IV benzo's with just a warning letter (similar to yours)....
Maybe you got lucky and had a decent customs agent who realized this wasn't a big deal and there are more important illegal importations to deal with.
Kind of like the one out of a hundred times you get lucky and get a decent cop who let's you slide over a minor infraction....
If there were more of these types of people working in law enforcement maybe LE's wouldn't have such a bad rep!
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diggsbakes
Veteran
Reged: 09/17/03
Posts: 542
Loc: Mountians
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Really, all that matters is that your package did not get siezed, and you are in no trouble. If I were you I would just blow the whole thing off and not give it a second thought.
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Kirplopowitz
Newbie
Reged: 05/11/04
Posts: 30
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That is not the best advice.
Never blow off a sezuire letter.
Take it very seriously. Even if they eventualy give you back what you paid for.
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Good service is Paramount.
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dsmmcm
Board Addict
Reged: 11/08/03
Posts: 384
Loc: southwest US
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I think you missed an important point. There was no seizure letter, nor was there a seizure. Customs just opened it, put in a notice as I described earlier, and let it go. The meds were never seized.
D
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Kirplopowitz
Newbie
Reged: 05/11/04
Posts: 30
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So I guess that they just are giving a subtle warning nowdays. A couple of years ago they would just take the meds., and then send a warning letter in your mail box.
Maybe they are realy busy. I remember when the FDA did a customs inspection a few months back they supposedly found a few thousand packages (in one day) of prescription meds. so they have got to be bogged down with work in the mail inspection department.
But, when they open up a package and insert another document in it, and then close it back up, so you cant tell that they inserted it... That is scary!
Imagine someone taking a divorce letter, pulling it out, reading it,and then putting a love letter in its place. Then seal it up so no one can tell.
Also, when they do this, they have to be documenting it... date, package, contents, person, is probably being documented. So there is a cause for concern if they are doing that.
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Good service is Paramount.
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diggsbakes
Veteran
Reged: 09/17/03
Posts: 542
Loc: Mountians
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Quote:
Imagine someone taking a divorce letter, pulling it out, reading it,and then putting a love letter in its place. Then seal it up so no one can tell.
I think you are missing the boat here buddy. The letter that the member that created this thread received was a simple warning, nothing more. If it was serious, the package obviously would have been confinscated immediately.
The situation is certainly not as serious as the example you provided. The letter MAY be documented, but in my opinion due to the sole fact that the drugs were NOT siezed, proves that the letter has more in common with a written warning for speeding issued by a traffic cop.
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nycalt
Reged: 05/04/04
Posts: 551
Loc: Manhattan, NYC
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Quote:
So I guess that they just are giving a subtle warning nowdays. A couple of years ago they would just take the meds., and then send a warning letter in your mail box.
Maybe they are realy busy. I remember when the FDA did a customs inspection a few months back they supposedly found a few thousand packages (in one day) of prescription meds. so they have got to be bogged down with work in the mail inspection department.
But, when they open up a package and insert another document in it, and then close it back up, so you cant tell that they inserted it... That is scary!
Imagine someone taking a divorce letter, pulling it out, reading it,and then putting a love letter in its place. Then seal it up so no one can tell.
Also, when they do this, they have to be documenting it... date, package, contents, person, is probably being documented. So there is a cause for concern if they are doing that.
We are way off topic now but I just wanted to post some clarifications to this and your previous post about blowing off seizure letters since both contain some serious inaccuracies. I have a friend who works in U.S. Customs at JFK and I just verified all this with him.
Seizure letters are no big deal unless you contest them, except that you may be out of the money for the seized meds.
There is no record kept of them, no kind of database where people who received seizure notices are kept or any such thing.
In fact the best thing to do, besides maybe making a copy and sending to the IOP so you can get a reship or a refund, is to blow off the seizure letter, Dont contest it and otherwise you need not give it another thought.
Packages seized are tagged and kept for varying period of time depending on what exactly was seized and why but no longer than a year, in case you want to contest the seizure. Doing so, by the way admits liability and copability (it would be quie clear you requested the package seized) and could run into serious trouble unless you really know what you are doing (like you know what was seized was not illegal to import).
The time Customs keeps them is often much less than a year for things like perishable items; not just drugs get seized you know. Illegal to import fruits and vegetables among other things are also candidates for seizure.
Finally, anytime something is opened by U.S. Customs and is allowed to pass (by the way, sometimes only part of the package will be seized and the rest repacked and shipped on) it is clearly indicated so on the outside if the package as required by U.S. law.
So packages arent being opened and having notes slipped into them by Customs
. Not quite sure where you got that idea since the member who started this thread clearly indicated that the package was stamped Opened by Customs. In fact doing so, to quote my friend, is not only grounds for major disciplinary action but also a felony.
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lnd4508
Old Hand
Reged: 06/23/02
Posts: 453
Loc: USA
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Quote:
Hello Everyone,
Today my cat received a very small shipment of a schedule IV drug from a European IOP. The package was stamped OPENED BY US CUSTOMS FOR TARIFF PURPOSES (city removed). PASSED FREE.
Inside, the meds were still there, but a slip of paper with the following text was inserted:
WARNING
The Food and Drug Administration prohibits the importation, by mail or in person, of fraudulent prescription and non prescription drugs and medical devices. These may include unorthodox cures for medical conditions including cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis. While these drugs and devices may be completely legal elsewhere, they may not have been approved for use in the United States, even under a prescription issued by a foreign physician. They may not legally enter the United States and may be confiscated upon arrival by mail.
For additional information, contact you nearest Food and Drug Administration Office,
(address removed).
The package was resealed perfectly- I wouldnt have know that it was opened if they didnt tell me.
My question is: Why didnt they take it? Any ideas?
Thanks,
D
This has happened to me twice and it was after 9/11. Maybe it depends on the amount. Who knows really? Best part is you received and just got the FDA "dangers of buying non-US produced products."  A seizure letter is a totally different thing and your package would have been empty.
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