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90 lines
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90 lines
5.4 KiB
Plaintext
<conspiracyFile>MAIL SURVEILLANCE
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COPYRIGHT (C) 1991 BY FULL DISCLOSURE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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In Full Disclosure #21 information was provided on ``mail covers'' where
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information on the outside of mail is recorded and provided to law
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enforcement and/or intelligence agencies. That article prompted questions by
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readers about when the post office might actually open mail and examine its
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contents. This article will explore an actual case where mail was opened and
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overview the postal procedure for mail openings in drug related cases.
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Full Disclosure was able to obtain copies of documents filed in the federal
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court in Chicago, Illinois on February 2, 1990 that provide the following
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description of the mail opening program:
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``The Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has implemented
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an Express Mail Profile program at the Air Mail Facility (AMF) at Chicago
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O'Hare International Airport This program consists of a physical profile of
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Express Mail parcels which have been mailed to or from locations within the
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Northern District of Illinois. Targets were cities and/or areas of the United
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States which have been identified by law enforcement as being source areas
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for the distribution of narcotics, and/or controlled substances.''
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The package in this particular case had a return address in Evanston,
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Illinois, delivery address in Chicago (the same name on both), and a post
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mark in San Francisco. However, another case that was reviewed showed the
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return address and postmark to correspond. The physical appearance in both
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cases were rather generic (according to the descriptions offered in the court
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files)
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W. Earnst Hills of the Postal Inspection Service in Chicago said in an
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interview that this program was not ongoing but rather goes into effect
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whenever they get information from other agencies that indicate a suspicious
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package is on the way. For example, if a DEA agent observes a suspected drug
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dealer mail a package, the description of that package would be passed on and
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packages fitting that description would be selected for further review.
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Hills' description of the program was that the Postal Inspection service
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would receive a tip from another agency that a suspicious package was on the
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way. They would then be looking for it at the O'Hare Air Mail Facility.
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``One of the things we look for is fictitious return addresses'' said Hills.
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He didn't think there was a problem with it taking too much time to do this
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type of checking.
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After packages have been selected by their physical description, they are
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subjected to drug sniffing dogs or machines. The dog test consists of several
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similar packages being put in separate nylon sacks and if the dog bites and
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scratches at the nylon sack with the suspect parcel, a search warrant is
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sought.
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Hills indicated that the mail is not significantly delayed. Since most mail
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arrives very early in the morning they have plenty of time to examine it
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prior to the necessary delivery time later in the day. He also said that they
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will get a magistrate up in the middle of the night to issue a search warrant.
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Upon receipt of the search warrant, the package is opened and inspected for
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contraband. Hills said that normally, the package will then be sealed back up
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and delivered by a postal inspector who will arrest the recipient after they
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accept the package.
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What if a warrant is issued and the package does not contain contraband?
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Hills was unsure, stating that as far as he knew they had a ``100% success
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rate'' on finding contraband in parcels opened pursuant to a search warrant.
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However, he offered to find out what the procedure would be if the package
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didn't contain contraband.
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Hills findings were that there has been ``no incident like that in Chicago.''
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However, when it has happened in other locations that have put a copy of the
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search warrant in the package and had it delivered normally. Hills cautioned,
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however that it wasn't necessary standard procedure to do that, only that it
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had been done in some cases.
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The above is reprinted from Full Disclosure Newspaper. Subscribe today and
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get interesting articles like the above, plus more... pictures, graphics,
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advertisement, and more articles. Full Disclosure is your source for
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information on the leading edge of surveillance technology. Print the
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following form, or supply the information on a plain piece of paper:
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<div>
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Please start my subscription to Full Disclosure for:
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[ ] Sample issue, $2.00
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[ ] 12 issue subscription, $18.00
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[ ] 24 issue subscription, $29.95
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With 24 issue susbcription include free one of the following:
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[ ] Directory of Electronic Surveillance Equipment Suppliers
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[ ] Citizen's Guide on How to Use the Freedom of Info/Privacy Acts
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[ ] Maximizing PC Performance
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Also available separately:
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[ ] Directory of Electronic Surveillance Equipment Suppliers, $6.00
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[ ] Citizen's Guide on How to Use the Freedom of Info/Privacy Acts, $5.00
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[ ] Maximizing PC Performance, $6.00
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Illinois residences, add 6.5% sales tax on above 3 items.
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Enclosed is payment in the form of:
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[ ] Check/Money order, [ ] Visa, [ ] Mastercard
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Card no:<div> Exp date:<div>
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Signature:<div>
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Phone:<div>
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(required for credit card orders)
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My name/address:
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Name:<div>
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Street:<div>
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City/State/Zip:<div>
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Return to: Full Disclosure, Box 903, Libertyville, Illinois 60048
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</conspiracyFile> |