Postal package profiling, straight from the Feds!

[SageVisitor]

I hope members find this as informative as I did!

Source: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin via Findarticles -> Profiling postal packages | FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The | Find Articles


Most Americans use the U.S. Postal Service nearly every day. Whether to send bills to clients, advertise for new customers, or exchange letters with friends, citizens rely on the Postal Service to help them conduct their professional and personal business. Unfortunately, some people use it to conduct illegal business--namely, drug distribution.

In Omaha, Nebraska, authorities have taken steps to cut off the drug trade conducted by mail. In 1988. inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service proposed a partnership with the Omaha, Nebraska, Police Department's Narcotics Unit to interdict drugs transported into the city by mail. Prior intelligence gathering revealed that dealers smuggled large amounts of cocaine into Omaha simply by wrapping up the drugs and mailing them at the post office. Smugglers often used express delivery methods because the demands of quick delivery lowered the chances of detection by postal inspectors.

The joint operation has yielded positive results. In one early case, inspectors intercepted a suspicious package mailed from Los Angeles, California, to an Omaha address. Based on the subsequent investigation, inspectors obtained a search warrant for the package, which contained 6 ounces (186 grams) of powdered cocaine.

The drugs led the joint team to a big arrest when an undercover postal inspector made a controlled delivery of the package to the mailing address in Omaha, and police officers immediately executed a search warrant on the location. Inside, officers apprehended a hard core gang member who had relocated from southern California and established gun- and drug-running operations in the city. The success of this operation and others like it stemmed from two factors: Use of a package profile to identify suspicious parcels and close cooperation between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Omaha Police Narcotics Unit during the investigatory process.

THE PROFILE
To identify pieces of mail that might contain controlled substances, postal inspectors rely on a package profile based on a readily discernable, predetermined set of criteria. Past court decisions make clear that the regular application of a consistent set of criteria is not intrusive.(1) Using the profile helps establish reasonable suspicion, which is required by the Postal Service to detain mail for examination.(2)

The profile sets criteria for both the package's condition and its label. Taken individually, few of the criteria would indicate that the package contains contraband; however, a combination of these factors indicates a suspicious package worthy of a second look.

First, in terms of the package itself, inspectors look for parcels that have been heavily taped along the seams, have been prepared poorly for mailing, have an uneven weight distribution, or apparently have been reused. However, inspectors do not identify questionable pieces of mail only by sight; suspicious packages frequently emit odors of marijuana or of a masking agent, such as perfume, coffee, or fabric-softener sheets.

Second, package labels often provide clues. Inspectors look for labels that have been handwritten; contain misspelled names, streets, or cities; originate from a drug-source State; and have been sent from one person to another, not from a business to an individual. Further identifiers include a return address ZIP code that does not match the accepting post office ZIP code or a fictitious return address. Finally, the names of the sender and/or the receiver frequently have a common ring to them, such as John Smith, and have no connection to either address.

Postal inspectors receive copies of all labels from packages signed for by the recipient. If a particular address receives multiple deliveries from a drug-source State, for example, inspectors will check with postal carriers at both the sending and receiving addresses to verify names and addresses. If the return address is fictitious or if the listed names do not have a connection to either address, inspectors will be alert to intercept future packages.

THE INVESTIGATION
The Postal Inspection Service bears responsibility for detecting suspicious packages. This type of investigation requires patience, because inspectors routinely examine hundreds of mailing labels on packages sent through the mail. Through these examinations, inspectors attempt to recognize packages matching the profile characteristics. When they locate a suspicious package, the investigation begins.

Present Package to Drug Dog
Upon discovery of a suspicious package, postal inspectors notify the Omaha Police Narcotics Unit. The unit's supervisor assigns a drug dog handler to meet with the inspector and present the package to the dog.

Presentation strategies vary. Sometimes the handler hides the package to see if the dog can sniff out its location. At other times, the handler presents the suspicious package to the dog, along with other similar parcels.

The dog handler carefully records the details of the presentation for future use as search warrant documentation. The dog's positive reaction to the package indicates the presence of drugs, which in many cases establishes probable cause to prepare a search warrant to inspect the parcel's contents.

Suspicious package investigations typically require two search warrants: One to open and search the package and one to search the mailing address after delivery of the parcel. Postal inspectors and police investigators work closely to ensure that all documentation for the warrants is complete and accurate, important factors in obtaining evidence and prosecuting the case.

Searching the Package
Because the U.S. mail falls under Federal jurisdiction, a Federal warrant must be obtained for any suspicious package. The police drug dog handler helps the inspector prepare the affidavit because they must provide the magistrate with a history of the dog's reliability and past achievements.

Having obtained the warrant, postal inspectors open the package. This important step must not be dealt with carelessly. The package might need to be resealed for a controlled delivery, so inspectors must exercise caution. To preserve fingerprints on any item or contraband, the person opening the package wears rubber gloves. Inspectors also photograph the opening of the parcel in a series of steps for use as future evidence.

In the formative stages of Omaha's program, postal inspectors and police investigators met with prosecutors to determine a strategy for handling cases brought by the joint team. They concurred that when a package containing drugs was identified, investigators would remove most of the drugs, leaving just a small amount to be resealed in the package and delivered later. Prosecutors agreed that they could argue successfully in court that the defendant found in possession of the resealed package actually had "constructive possession" of the original amount of contraband. However, to preserve the elements of the State or Federal drugs violation, it would be best if at least some of the drugs originally seized were delivered in the package.

After removing most of the illegal substance, inspectors frequently replace it with an imitation so as not to alert suspects when they open the package. For example, a recent investigation in Omaha located a large amount of crack cocaine formed into the shape of cookies. Investigators left several of the original crack cookies in the package but substituted sugar cookies for the rest.

On a practical note, this procedure safeguards against the loss of the evidence in the unlikely event that the subject eludes police officers after the package is delivered but before the search warrant of the residence can be executed. Omaha officers quickly discovered that suspects often attempt to leave the location with the evidence immediately following the controlled delivery of the package but prior to the entry team's arrival.

Searching the Address
Once the package has been searched and resealed, the Omaha Police Narcotics Unit supervisor prepares a search warrant for the mailing address. This does not have to be a Federal warrant, but the Federal search warrant used to open the package is referenced in the warrant petition and a copy is attached.

A police investigator and the postal inspector collaborate to prepare the second search warrant. The affidavit describes exactly how the investigation began--with discovery of the suspicious package--and follows with the details of presenting the parcel to the drug dog, obtaining the Federal search warrant, opening the package, and locating the drugs. The affidavit also notes that officers removed a specific amount of the drug from the package, left a small amount, and refilled the package with an imitation substance.

This type of search warrant is anticipatory in nature. That is, the affidavit clearly must show that law enforcement officers currently possess the drugs to be seized and that they intend to serve the search warrant after the controlled delivery of the package. If probable cause exists, items such as packaging materials, scales, long distance telephone bills, money, drug records, and additional drugs should be listed on the warrant to be seized. Any historical or intelligence information about the address of the anticipated delivery or the persons known to frequent the address also should be documented in the affidavit.

Prepare for Delivery
The next step involves delivering the package to the intended address under carefully controlled conditions. The Narcotics Unit supervisor handles three aspects of this operation. The supervisor arranges the controlled delivery, establishes a secure perimeter around the address to prevent the subject from leaving with the package, and supervises the execution of the search warrant.

First, the supervisor conducts an extensive reconnaissance of the address, especially noting all possible exits. Because at least several minutes will elapse between the controlled delivery and the execution of the search warrant to allow the recipient time to open the package, all exits of the address must be placed under surveillance to prevent anyone from leaving with the package.

Second, the supervisor briefs all officers involved in executing the search warrant, dividing officers between the perimeter and entry teams. The perimeter team, which keeps all exits of the target address under surveillance, must be positioned to stop and arrest anyone who might leave with the package after it has been delivered. The entry team, which typically comprises Omaha police officers, postal inspectors, and occasionally, FBI agents, serves the warrant, makes appropriate arrests, and conducts the subsequent search of the premises.

Deliver the Package
An undercover postal inspector normally delivers the package after the perimeter team takes its position. In most situations, the Narcotics Unit supervisor then gives the recipient enough time to open the package, because an opened package undermines the commonly used defense that the suspect did not know what it contained.

In addition, experience shows that the original recipient often will turn over the parcel to a second person who arrives within minutes of the delivery. For this reason, the supervisor might choose to wait a considerable length of time before sending in the entry team.

Execute the Search Warrant
At the appropriate time, the entry team executes the search warrant for the package on the target location. During the search, officers remain alert for additional drugs, drug records, money, long distance telephone bills, scales, baggies, and other labels of packages previously mailed to the address, as listed on the warrant.

Upon completion of the search, the supervisor quickly analyzes the situation to determine whether to interrogate the person who signed for the package on the scene. If such questioning could prove fruitful, the suspect is advised of his Miranda rights. On occasion, by immediately interrogating the recipient, investigators have convinced suspects to make tape-recorded telephone contact with a second suspect who, in turn, arrived at the scene only to be arrested.

Investigators question the arrested parties thoroughly to determine their knowledge of the parcel's contents and their connections with a network of people involved in smuggling the package into the city. Many postal profiling cases in Omaha have resulted in Federal prosecution of individuals in other States, such as California, for participating in drug smuggling operations.

SUCCESSES

The success of the package profiling program in Omaha proves that law enforcement can transcend jurisdictional boundaries to combat crimes that often go undetected. Highlights of the program include two separate seizures of 3-pound quantities of crack cocaine valued at approximately $250,000 each that had been mailed to Omaha from sources in Los Angeles.

Not all seizures have run smoothly. In one case, inspectors intercepted a package containing 5 ounces (155 grams) of methamphetamine. Following standard procedure, officers removed all but 5 grams of the substance, which they sealed in a tube taped to the inside of the package. A female at the target address signed for the package during the controlled delivery, but when officers executed the search warrant, no drugs could be found. Knowing that they had delivered the methamphetamine, officers conducted an extensive and thorough search of the premises but to no avail. Finally, several hours later, the woman vomited the tube intact. She had swallowed it when she saw the law enforcement officers approach the residence.

Despite the occasional mishap, the package profiling system has produced many seizures that have netted both crack and powdered cocaine, marijuana, LSD, methamphetamine, heroin, steroids, and hallucinogenic mushrooms. Prosecutors have obtained numerous felony convictions in both Federal and State courts.

CONCLUSION

Profiling postal packages represents a challenging and exciting aspect of drug enforcement. In the future, law enforcement agencies might expand the use of this technique to detect packages transported by private carriers and parcel services.

The expertise gained by working with postal inspectors to detect controlled substances sent by mail could be applied to private carriers in an attempt to choke off other conduits for transporting controlled substances. By employing every method available, U.S. Postal Inspectors can work with local law enforcement agencies to keep the Postal Service from being an unwitting and unwilling drug courier.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Profile

Postal inspectors use these criteria to identify packages that might contain drugs.

Package Criteria
* Emits odors of marijuana or or a masking agent (e.g., coffee, perfume, fabric-softener sheets)

* Is heavily taped along seams

* Is poorly prepared for mailing

* Appears to have been re-used

* Has an uneven weight distribution

Label Criteria
* Is handwritten

* Contains misspelled names, streets, or cities

* Originates from a drug source State

* Has been sent from an individual to an individual

* Contains return address ZIP code that does not match accepting post office ZIP code

* Shows a fictitious return address

* Lists sender's and/or receiver's names of common type (e.g., John Smith) that are not connected to either address

Endnotes

(1) United States v. Hill, 701 F. Supp. 1522 (D.C.Kan. 1988). (2) The U.S. Postal Service's Administrative Support Manual (ASM), Section 274.31, disallows any mail sealed against inspection (i.e., First-Class, Express Mail) to be detained, even for a dog sniff, with very few exceptions. ASM 274.31 (a) notes that "a Postal Inspector acting diligently and without avoidable delay, upon reasonable suspicion, for a brief period of time [may detain a piece of mail] to assemble sufficient evidence to satisfy the probable-cause requirement for a search warrant, and to apply for, obtain, and execute the warrant." Therefore, reasonable suspicion must exist before the mail can be detained.

COPYRIGHT 1996 Federal Bureau of Investigation
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

[Cranberry]

Oh hell to the no. Here I am keeping postal workers and the police gainfully employed and not even a thank you. What do I get instead? Profiled, arrested & charged. Little do they realize how important to the economy we really are. Our "needs" create more jobs. Even the dogs work.

[lucid_nicole]

Thank you for this! At least my vendor and I are doing something right.

[SWIGRx]

helpful article, but it seems exclusive to omaha. thanks though.

[steve12345]

I love this post! So basically when I go to the mail box in front of my house I will do a complete scan of the area . i will wear gloves so there are no fingerprints.
I will NOT open the package and write "RETURN TO SENDER" on the package and put it back in the mailbox with the "FLAG" up and go back to the house. HA HA

Very helpful indeed. About 8 years ago I had a back injury at work and the company sent a private eye to video tape me so they could stop paying the unemployment etc. My neighbor saw the guy and there are MANY little kids around and thought he was a child molester. He interigated the guy and the investigator did not notify the local police dept. I got wind of this and did a acting job that could have given me a academy award . I even had two neighbors help "carry me out" . HEE HEE . Oh yes. I did have a back injury but had to make sure it was worse in their eyes so they would cover my recovery.

[SageVisitor]

I will NOT open the package and write "RETURN TO SENDER" on the package and put it back in the mailbox with the "FLAG" up and go back to the house. HA HA

If you have patience, writing return to sender on the package and letting it sit UNOPENED for a 24hr period adds a great deal of reasonable doubt if required.

[johnsoncar]

I always wondered about controlled delivers, what if an enemy of yours would send marijuana through the mail (and try to make it suspicious as possible), then you get controlled delivery and got in trouble meanwhile you had no idea what it was?

[SageVisitor]

I always wondered about controlled delivers, what if an enemy of yours would send marijuana through the mail (and try to make it suspicious as possible), then you get controlled delivery and got in trouble meanwhile you had no idea what it was?

You better hope your home is clean or they will catch you for some kind of BS. If they have a warrant and you do one thing illegal, you are going to probably have trouble.

[Cranberry]

@SageVisitor Thanks for posting this here. It's good info!

[LostInSpace]

This is great info @SageVisitor , thank you! I might be naive stating this but I believe many of the members are shipped higher class scheduled prescriptions.

These rules seem to enforce highly illegal drugs with intent to sell. I'm curious to know what the enforcement policies are for a months supply of valium or cialis?

These are the LL warnings?

I wonder what the neighbors would be saying if you had your door busted down by the DEA for a months supply of erectile dysfunction medicine??
__________________________________________________ _
I am the 99%

[Carter]

@SageVisitor, good post. I noticed the dates are a little old. Anybody have updated info or is this still what's in place,

I may have missed it but is this only for internation mail coming in or every piece of mail sent domestically?

[UncleBen]

I understand why the Government would focus on stopping people from mailing illegal drugs through the USPS. It makes sense; Government run mail service, Federal laws on narcotic transportation/possession.

Knew a guy from high school that just got arrested for mailing potent MJ inside computer cases from California back to his hometown on the East Coast. Pretty dumb thing to do. Using computer cases to transport drugs is a well known, old-school method that LE is aware of.

Slightly off-topic:

What's concerning (probably applies to the majority of PR members) is LE's vigilance/authority in prosecuting people recieving legal prescription meds without a prescription through private mail carriers.

Fictitious scenario I find interesting: *IF* a controlled delivery of prescription meds was carried out and the suspects residence was searched, what happens if they find legally owned firearms in the home? Can/would you likely be charged with Felony "possesion of a firearm while in possession a controlled substance?

Not that this would apply to me of course, just a thought that crossed my mind about how far LE might take it.

[Blockhead]

@SageVisitor, good post. I noticed the dates are a little old. Anybody have updated info or is this still what's in place,

I may have missed it but is this only for internation mail coming in or every piece of mail sent domestically?

@Carter, I interpreted it as U.S. to U.S. parcels.

[steve12345]

I would NEVER sign for the package as that is a legal way of saying you are accepting it.
It is just one more nail in your coffin if it is a controlled delivery. I also use another name to my address when i ordered from Shaz. Even if it is a controlled delivery it was addressed to another person but put in my mailbox where I wrote return to sender and did not open it . I then put the flag on the mailbox up signaling the mail carrier the next day to look inside for an outgoing package. I think doing these items will be a cause for reasonable doubt if you are charged with a controlled delivery . i am not a lawyer.

Steve

[Carter]

Again, a great thread with good info. Unfortunatly (for me anyway) my paranoia meter (actually implanted into the side of skull, a small LCD readoutl) has gone from the nominal/normal reading of 100 up to 250 after reading this thread and another thread on LLs and PO boxes (it is 3 dgit readout 000-999). 800 or above and I'll be immediately carted of to the insanasylum (sp?)

[cajunbulldog]

Thank God for my small town and everybody knows everyone.makes this hard to occur and small town cops don't bother mail people and I already get meds by mail from VA hospital so good to go.Very good article though.

[RetiredRacer]

I watched a special recently about inter-state drug trafficking. The DEA claims that over 60% of the trafficking inside the U.S. travels by usps or ups/fedex. Crazy thought, means the P.O. is half full of drugs almost all the time, but they don't know where to look. I believe the poor packaging and blatant odors are not quite issues for the big boys, heck, they're molding products out of cocaine itself...

[Photo_Chic]

This is great info @SageVisitor , thank you! I might be naive stating this but I believe many of the members are shipped higher class scheduled prescriptions.

These rules seem to enforce highly illegal drugs with intent to sell. I'm curious to know what the enforcement policies are for a months supply of valium or cialis?

These are the LL warnings?

I wonder what the neighbors would be saying if you had your door busted down by the DEA for a months supply of erectile dysfunction medicine??
__________________________________________________ _
I am the 99%

I agree that this is a great article and very very interesting!! I do have to agree with @LostInSpace and could be a bit naive myself but I am wondering how this applies to us that don't receive cocaine in their mailbox and just order non-controlled substances (it very well could, like I said I am completely naive with all of this). It also makes me wonder about things like mail order prescriptions (I am an HR Manager so we often speak to our employees about receiving their prescriptions through mail order) so I suppose if you got caught with meds you could easily prove that they were actually prescribed by a local Dr. but it does make me think while it is traveling through state lines how anyone would know the difference.

I'm probably thinking way too much into this Again, thanks for sharing the article because it was very informative and I find this stuff so interesting. I also agree with @steve12345 and would never sign for anything I wasn't expecting!

[Nickel]

Those profile points are pretty telling. I've had one vendor in all my years ship like that and I dropped them immediately. Any vendor who ships so carelessly is a danger to themselves and everyone they deal with. I put packaging right under quality in my order of priorities. I used to sell collectable items on eBay to very picky (crazy picky) collectors and shipped all over the world. I learned that packaging is everything and I expect it from my vendors as well. TN and answering emails are further down the list and much less important, IMO.

Thanks for the great article, @SageVisitor!

[Gullible]

I've been telling people for a long time to write return to sender on it and let it sit a while. As has been said, if you have something else illegal in the house they can nail you for that. Signing does not prove you ordered it. Someone might have sent a present. Surely you have a birthday, anniversary or some holiday coming up?

If the delivery person asks any questions, that is a red flag. Tell them you were not expecting anything. If the package looks like it was opened and resealed and they ask you questions, do not accept the package. It's not clear from the article if they can bust in if you decline the package. You could say "i might have to pay for it if i sign or accept"

The from and to addresses must both be valid. If you are mailing something just pick a from address from the phonebook, better than none or a fake one.

Everyplace i order from sends in a new box with printed label. I've never had a bit of trouble but have had a few opened by customs and sent on. A few never made it. I think it would have to be something major to do a controlled delivery. A few pills won't set off the big operation they are talking about here. It would have to be enough of a controlled substance to make you look like a distributor.