# When Contraband Is Caught By The USPS

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-contraband-is-caught-by-the-usps/726965>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 4, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-contraband-is-caught-by-the-usps/726965 "2015-08-04T12:44:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-contraband-is-caught-by-the-usps/726965/1 "2015-08-04T12:44:34Z")

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Let’s say that a person in California sends a few grams of forbidden plant matter to a recipient in Missouri, via USPS. Postal inspectors catch on to it, get a warrant, open it, and determine that it’s contraband. What happens next?

a) They throw it away and forget about it?  
b) They send a notice to the sender, recipient, or both that it has been confiscated?  
c) They set up a sting so when the recipient signs for it he’s busted?  
d) Something else.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-contraband-is-caught-by-the-usps/726965/2 "2015-08-04T12:52:51Z")

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IME, notice to recipient, period.

SWIM has ordered seeds from outside the U.S. If the seeds are caught (a rare event) recipient gets a notice about it, offering to let you claim it if indeed it is yours, which you would be foolish to claim.

If the sender is in the U.S. I’m not sure what else would transpire, though I’d assume the sender’s addy is not correct.

ETA: heh. Plant matter. I was thinking clones/seeds. Do people still mail (never mind)

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**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-contraband-is-caught-by-the-usps/726965/3 "2015-08-04T14:37:10Z")

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Similar to kayaker, something ordered from outside the US yielded a letter to the intended recipient. However, the letter was from US Customs, not the Postal Inspector.