Seeds Intercepted by Homeland Security

Spicegeist · Nov 22, 2013

I was happy to find out a package from Australia had arrived only to find some tape sealing it shut with this logo on it:

And then a document letting me know the seeds have been removed and destroyed:

I've had seed arrive from all over the world, but this has never happened to me before. Is this something new? If so, does anyone know what's changed?

romy6 · Nov 22, 2013

Happened to me a few years ago from the Netherlands. Broke my heart :mope:

Spicegeist · Nov 22, 2013

romy6 said:
Happened to me a few years ago from the Netherlands. Broke my heart

Was it just random then?

megahot · Nov 22, 2013

Ive heard from Smileyguy that Australia cannot receive seeds. I have no idea why? I have nothing against Australia or Australians. But it makes absolutely no sense! I just sent some pepper seeds also. Im pretty sure the same thing will happen.Did you fill out a customs form? How did you send the seeds, Bubble mailer?

romy6 · Nov 22, 2013

That's what i was thinking cause meatfreak sent me some seeds a few months later with no problems. :rolleyes:

megahot · Nov 22, 2013

Just read (from Australia) very odd that the U.S would do this! How dumb!

Sm1nts2escape · Nov 22, 2013

Uh Oh. I just bought some seeds from aus a week ago :/

Spicegeist · Nov 22, 2013

megahot said:
Ive heard from Smileyguy that Australia cannot receive seeds. I have no idea why? I have nothing against Australia or Australians. But it makes absolutely no sense! I just sent some pepper seeds also. Im pretty sure the same thing will happen.Did you fill out a customs form? How did you send the seeds, Bubble mailer?

Wait, are you in WA as in Washington state (US) or Western Australia?

They were sent in a bubble mailer, it was labelled on the outside as containing capsicum...

Vegas_Chili · Nov 22, 2013

I a friend who got his confiscated not that long ago maybe 1 month ago. Had nothing to do with Australia. His seeds went thru Hawaii and that's where his seeds got jacked the same way.

I sent some to Alice (justecila) before all this crap started. I put them inside a regular envelope with a piece of a bubble mailer and for the customs form I put (pepper seeds (Capsicum Chinense)) went thru without a problem. It was to something whales Lol I forgot. Anyway that was my experience.

-Walt

Spicegeist · Nov 22, 2013

Vegas_Chili said:
I a friend who got his confiscated not that long ago maybe 1 month ago. Had nothing to do with Australia. His seeds went thru Hawaii and that's where his seeds got jacked the same way.

I sent some to Alice (justecila) before all this crap started. I put them inside a regular envelope with a piece of a bubble mailer and for the customs form I put (pepper seeds (Capsicum Chinense)) went thru without a problem. It was to something whales Lol I forgot. Anyway that was my experience.

-Walt

Hm, I'm guessing it must be a random screening...

megahot · Nov 22, 2013

Spicegeist said:
Wait, are you in WA as in Washington state (US) or Western Australia?
WA state as in U.S

They were sent in a bubble mailer, it was labelled on the outside as containing capsicum...

smokemaster · Nov 22, 2013

Some Gov. idiot read my post/story when Judy sent me pods a while back.
Pure Humor...

Can't find the post - story about her pods causing FICTIONAL problems for me.
Homeland security etc. getting involved...

She recently asked if I needed powders she wants to send me since I'm out of pods and have very little of my own left-about out.
Gonna be a long cold winter...ate the pods she sent and am down to a short supply of smoked manzano powder now.

Found the post.

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/42578-well-this-might-be-it-for-me/

Expect another one if I do OR don't get the powders she sends me.
LOL
Ya never know...

If Judy can be as generous as she is,I bet I can get close to matching up a new story with my imagination to at least get a smile from whoever reads my posts.

Homeland security is a very new angle.
Hazmat and Customs were all that were a hassle before.

I gotta get inventive next time.
Might have to be less specific on the sender.
Hate to get Judy on a watched list.

geeme · Nov 23, 2013

Australia does have some funky laws on capsicum seeds. Interesting that they are only as specific as capsicum chinense - they'll allow pubescens, but not chinense, so some but not others. Doesn't matter if it's a superhot or a nothot. But yes, chinenses were fairly recently banned in Australia, but as far as I know, only for receipt in that country.

When I sent seeds to an Australian member a couple years ago, before the ban on chinense, I had to not only put the name of what I was sending on the package, but also declare it on the customs form, as someone else noted above. Maybe the sender only got half of the equation?

Salgar08 · Nov 23, 2013

It's always been the other way round in my experience, the US will let anything through but AU customs thinks we're girt by a HazMat bubble(google national anthem of AU if you don't know what a girt is)

I've had my grits (best girt by a bowl) diverted to Xmas Island where they claim they were incinerated but where an evil fiend named "gritsboy" actually ate them. They offered to send me the charred remains if I paid some ridiculous amount and told me to notify my supplier. I also got pulled up at customs coming back from the US because my sister had put some microwave popcorn in my bag.

SanPatricio · Nov 23, 2013

I will soon be on my way to OZ, so I checked out the Aussie regs. on bringing seeds in.
WOW - their new regs. are a real PITA, I will not bring any seeds!
But I never knew that our (USA) regs. were very restrictive.
Look at the link below --- Unless you had ordered a larger quantity of seeds, you should not have needed
a phytosanitary certificate.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_imports/smalllots_seed.shtml

Sarge · Nov 23, 2013

Well I ordered a bunch of seeds from overseas. Lets see what happens. They better not take them. I can't find any information on the internet regarding what can and can't come in. Their website is bullshit and so are the rules. They get all frantic about seeds coming in but somehow bags and bags of cocain and firearms end up in the streets here.

Gotrox · Nov 23, 2013

ban on chinense,

Just send baccatum's or some other.
I'm sure nobody would attempt to change some line of text to bypass customs restrictions.
That would be illegal and dishonest!!! :surprised:

Noah Yates · Nov 23, 2013

The shipper may have to declare the seeds on the outside of the package?!

KiNGDeNNiZ · Nov 23, 2013

As
Much as I know. Western Aussie has tough quarantine laws. I sent a FB buddy some seeds and they got confiscated. Via birthday card.

I eventually put some in USB cig lighter charger and put the seeds inside. Went thru no problem

. But as far as Cali I know we too have tough quarantine laws. Appreantly someone in Cali ordered pods from Judy and it was confiscated. My theory is. That person might of just wanted extra pods.

Sarge. Let me know if yours goes thru via birthday card

Sarge · Nov 23, 2013

Will do man, not feeling lucky.

I read some comments on Yahoo answers, the shit some people write there is hilarious. One character wrote to someone that she hopes they get a huge fine from customs because what they are doing by importing seeds could kill all the gumtrees in Australia and that would kill all the koalas. I don't know how these kinds of people are capable of finding the internet.