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Smuggling seeds

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Trading with someone from Taiwan.  Customs got the seeds I sent there.  Willing to bet drug sniffing dogs got a nose full of peppers.  Got this wild idea.  One of the things I make are these pendents and ear rings with tiny bottles of mustard seed.  I sell them with the bible quote about mustard seeds and faith.  Think I am about to gift some jewelry to a person in Taiwan.
 
Does anyone know if normal letters require someone to fill out a customs form?  It is kind of fun to play secret pepper man, but i would rather not actually do it.
 
Drew I very much doubt that a Drug Detection (Narcotics) Dog would or could detect your peppers unless specifically trained to their scent. However, if you had come into contact with controlled drugs cross contamination is always possible. Not for one minute am I thinking that you indulge ... in all probability your package was scanned

A bottle with metal surroundings scanned may have looked suspicious so maybe a further investigation was taken by opening your package

I am a secret pepper man as I hide my chilli seed in Christmas Cards to the US ... damm my honesty I am now rumbled
 
Trident chilli said:
Drew I very much doubt that a Drug Detection (Narcotics) Dog would or could detect your peppers unless specifically trained to their scent. However, if you had come into contact with controlled drugs cross contamination is always possible. Not for one minute am I thinking that you indulge ... in all probability your package was scanned
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I must not have phrased right.  I don't think a dog was trained to sniff out pepper seeds.  I think maybe the dogs were sniffing a conveyor belt of mail and went into a sneezing fit.  My wife can't even fill a seed order with chinense without going into the same fit.  This despite everything being already packaged in the little zip lock bags.

Since I have been trading seeds for years, I wonder too if maybe the shape and size sets off something in the x rays.  I have never had lets say yellow watermelon or black tomato have trouble with customs.  Only pepper seeds.  Since  there are so many marijuana seed places on line, I would imagine they are looking for that.

On cross contamination and partaking, I don't know how sensitive a dogs nose is.  I do not smoke cannabis but I am an opiate user and very open about it.  Usually my wife does my daily medicine in a cup then I just throw back and swallow.  But when she is away I do pick the pills out of the bottle myself.  I guess it is possible I transferred some from my fingers to the envelope.  Hard to believe a dog could smell that, but maybe a mechanical sniffer?  Who knows.

Trade or sale, I just send another.  If customer seems cool, I ask for copies of any paper work they got.  Not that I need proof to send another package, just because I think it is fun to see it.  My kids and I also keep all foreign envelopes with the postal stamp.  We are building a world map with stick pins just for fun.  So if you ever want to trade anything for anything, send me a PM.
Public Service Message - If you function because your pain is managed, come out of the closet about it.  There is no shame in opiate dependency when the alternative is not functioning.  My family has a home, heat and meals because I have an opiate dependency. 
 
You know how people sometimes send birthday cards (or other cards for that matter) filled with confetti?
 
It may help to mask the presence of seeds in the envelope? When being scanned/X-rayed, etc. Haven't tried it myself.
 
I wouldn't use 1/8", it may be too thick to go through the sorting machines. Use a greeting card for the outside protection and I use paper towel the size of the card and put the seed inside. Try to lay the seeds flat so they don't clump up into a pile and make it more noticeable. Are you putting enough postage on it? I use the Global Stamps. 
 
Sometimes they just don't make it but eventually it will get through. 
 
AJ Drew,

You are correct in that the dogs go into sneezing fits. Ive a coworker who was the dog handler that did regional mail checks for a number of years. Concerning contraband detection he relayed that things get flagged when something doesnt fit, like organic material of any type in a letter.. in the case of seeds, it doesnt rise to any great level of criminality but customs could jam you or seize property for non-declaration.

Another thing he revealed was that the dogs sense of smell was so acute that feeble attempts at hiding stuff via scent masking were laughable. Further he explained that fooling humans was easier than the dogs because they separated the scents. So say someone is mailing weed and they wrap it up with dryer sheets to cover the smell. The dog smells the marijuana and dryer sheets as separate elements where the stronger odor of the sheets would overpower the average human olfactory nerve.

I will make some more inquiries from him and get a little more specific info, and not to worry, I am a friendly here......

Reggie
 
Agreed that a dogs sense of smell is incredible. Some breeds more than others. My springer spaniel is a trained hunting dog. He can smell a frozen bird inside a sealed Ziploc bag many yards away. I've even hid a sealed frozen bird in a trash can with many other smells to distract him and he can still pick it out. I would think they would need to be trained on many individual smells but maybe these customs dogs are. Its not hard to train a smart dog on different smells. I taught my dog to recognize and sniff out birds in a couple days.
 
WarrantMan said:
AJ Drew,

You are correct in that the dogs go into sneezing fits. Ive a coworker who was the dog handler that did regional mail checks for a number of years.
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When I was in the Army, my unit was absolutely razors edge straight.  We resented monthly health and welfare checks.  Thats when they wake you up, you unlock your wall locker, and go pee in a cup.  While you are peeing in a cup, they take MPs n dogs threw your living area.  Resenting it, some folk would use cayenne powder like dry carper shampoo.  You vacuum it up and humans cant see or smell it.  Oh but the dogs, ye they had fits.

BTW: Was much much younger then.  Today, I would just fill the cup and be thankful for the nap I could have while everyone else filled their cups.
 
AJ Drew,
 
I can certainly understand the resentment. I pee in the cup now, more than ever I did in the service....   I personally don't know a great deal about the shipping/customs stuff (not my thing), only what I've gleaned here and there. The dude I mentioned, I recently went through an instructor school with him. He did a decent presentation about much of what he did and how it was done. I found it interesting but regretfully,aside from a few "gee whiz" type moments, I didn't really retain much. If I learn of anything that might be useful in the matter of "seeds" I will share it. Resources of info come from all over,, ;)
 
I once did a college paper comparing many drug laws with the Volstead Act (as have many others before and since.) Vocation notwithstanding, I am a true believer in individual rights and limited government. 
 
Reggie
 
WarrantMan, as long as people do not create a threat to others I don't much care what they do.  Heroin, same sex marriage, sex with a rock, is all the same to me.  I am dependent on opiates, so I do not drive.  I have to pee in a cup once a month but dont resent it because it is part of the treatment.  If I were doing something else on the side, the doctor might cause me to OD.  Its all good, but I am a lot older now.
 
Looking back on my time in the military, I can see how they would not want someone running around stoned with select fire weapons and hand grenades.  Kind of makes sense.  More so because young men tend to be a little short fused.
 
My thinking on limited government is currently centered on the belief that we just cant afford the girth anymore.
 
AJ Drew,
 
Well said in all respects, everything does have appropriate place and time. I entered service straight out of high school, during the Reagan  "zero tolerance era." I was honest in my application and admitted to marijuana use.. It cost me an appointment to Annapolis and it has grated my cheese ever since. I could've just lied, but you suffer sometimes for adherence to principle. Had I gone that route, I reckon that I would've never become "The Warrant Man." Such is life I suppose.
 
"Government girth," never heard it put just quite that way, but I cannot disagree. Something has to give...
 
Thanks for your candor.
 
Reggie
 
AJ Drew said:
 sex with a rock, is all the same to me. 
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Gives new meaning to rock hard!
 
homer_backs_away_bushes.gif
 
WarrantMan, on something giving: My thing is that I realize government services are paid for by the tax base.  As the base shrinks due to loss of jobs or lower wages, the demand for the services increases.  The math means it cant work.  All indications are that automation and AI will continue to decrease work availability.  With more folk out of work, employers do not need to be as competitive with wages.
 
AJ Drew,
 
I am continually impressed. I cannot refute your premise. I once argued very vocally on the illegal alien issue (in newspapers and with Congressional members.) The blow back I got threatened my livlihood. (I will share some media pieces privately when I can put my hands on them) It was at the time spun by the powers that be, that we need illegal aliens to do jobs "that Americans won't do." Indicating there was such an abundance of jobs that folks could just pick and choose, at the same time, national unemployment was at a record high. The contrast was startling, we have too much yet not enough - at the same time? Like you said, "the math" doesn't work.
 
From my viewpoint, loss of jobs does indeed increase the need for services. Be it food stamps, welfare or the need in my case for additional police presence for those seeking crime as a way to make money (robbery, theft etc..) I hadn't really factored in the AI and automation, thank you for pointing out this very real issue. I will have to give it a little research before I can offer an informed opinion.
I have watched a few videos by a guy named (I'll butcher the spelling) but I think it is D'Nesh Desouza and I recall a speech at a college where I believe the issue was raised. If I can find it again, I will post a link.
 
I find myself in a small cocoon of thought in what I do for a living. Dealing with society's worst, I sometimes lose focus in that there are still some really good folks out here in our country, who think for themselves and follow a good path. Thanks for reminding me of this.
 
Reggie
 
WarrantMan - First, gotta share that I would hate your job as I understand it. Years ago,  I worked in the Ohio prison system as part of their anti-recidivism program.  There were some very good men incarcerated there.  Men I would welcome as a neighbor when they get out.  But most, not so much.  Seeing the latter on a regular basis can taint what a person thinks of society in general.  It is really not good on a person's mental health to be emerged in that for very long.

On jobs and society in general - I a not a doom and gloom doomsday prepper.  Society is always changing.  I just think how we live is going to change a bit due to economic changes.  I think we are going to become more dependent on kith and kin, neighbors, and other folk as they become more vested in our lives.  We've set up a road side stand for produce for a bit now.  The sign reads "Take what you need.  Leave what you can".  Our kids keep the money.  I also routinely gift the neighbors up and down our one lane road.  Had a flat tire, couldnt find my plugs, sent daughter to a neighbor to see if he had any. He came over and just about did it for me.  Got my tractor stuck in the mud once, neighbor pulled me out with his pulling tractor.  I think it is these type of connections we need to establish and we will be fine.

On Mexican labor - I think it was the USDA that said about half of the US jobs in agriculture are occupied by unlawful workers.  Maybe it is genetics and maybe it is acclimation to air condition.  I don't know.  What I do know from working in agriculture is that Americans usually make horrible field labor.  I also know that if half of that labor force were suddenly gone, our grocery prices would soar. 

Folk like to think they are taking jobs away from Americans, but they work their asses off for $10.00 an hour.  An American would want twice that and perform half as well.  Again, grocery prices would soar.  Smaller farms could not compete with the huge factory farms and an automated labor force.  So get rid of the illegal workers and all that would happen is we would become more dependent on huge factory farms.  Not one job would be saved for Americans.  Ah, but while most people do not see this as a loss because the jobs are already occupied by illegal workers who do not pay taxes, think about the blow to the economy.  Those workers might not pay income tax, but they pay taxes every time they buy anything.  Robots do not.

Things they are a changing.  But I have flown so far off topic, I am going to stop ranting.  This would be a great conversation for a homesteader forum.
 
AJ Drew,
 
Humbly, I admit that my thinking is grounded by certain precepts. Sorry to have veered the topic so far off course as well. I too have seen many that I would (and have) befriended that are caught up in "the system." While other cops get curses when visiting the jail, I get "high-fives" and handshakes. No shit. But, I also know that I have put many there who in reality harm other people and deserve at the least, to be in a cage. For this I have no regret. I quit counting the death threats many years ago. But, I don't discount them. If I am ever without weapon, either I'm showering or having an intimate moment with lady friend, even then, always within arm's reach... I reckon the mental health thing you mentioned, well, I joke a lot to help shrug off the mental weight of the sh*t. But it is always there, I'd be dishonest if I said otherwise.
 
I'm a country guy at heart. Was raised country and the values and actions you mention are typical of what I was taught as a kid, be neighborly, respectful and always offer help.  God knows, we need so much more of this, regardless of where we live or what accent we have... 
 
The immigration issue I will bury here as far as further comment. My last statement to this will be only to acknowledge the rule of law. When we abandon the principles that founded this nation, we in turn abandon the nation those ideals produced.
 
Reggie
 
 
I mail seeds all over the world in xmas cards. Tape the baggies to the inside and cut a piece of mailer padding to fit inside the card. This keeps seeds from being crushed. Have never had seeds pinched by customs. Only time I ever had seeds pinched being sent to me was cannabis seeds and they came from netherlands in a package. 
 
D3monic said:
I mail seeds all over the world in xmas cards. Tape the baggies to the inside and cut a piece of mailer padding to fit inside the card. This keeps seeds from being crushed. Have never had seeds pinched by customs. Only time I ever had seeds pinched being sent to me was cannabis seeds and they came from netherlands in a package. 
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Thank you for the advice.  Curious to know how the cannabis seed customs thing worked out.  I imagine no proof you ordered them, nothing came of it.  Hoping anyway.
 
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