Customs inspected (sliced open) my coffee again!

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ccarabella

Newbie
Feb 5, 2002
733
12
0
This is the second time this happens.
When I unpacked there was a note stating customs
had inspected my belongings.
Nine coffee packets were opened and sealed with green customs tape.
Sorry guys..no illicit drugs from me!

2e4eebc7.jpg
 
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AJL6767

New member
Apr 14, 2011
299
1
0
Everytime i go from the DR back to the US, I bring at least 20 bags of cafe santo domingo with me. One of my daughters lives in LA and she and her husband have to have their dominican coffee at least once a day. My other daughter in FL also loves it. So far I have not had one bag opened by customs. I guess I have been lucky. Although I feel sorry that you have had this problem, I am also relieved that our customs dept. is doing their job, and in a way better way then the joke of a TSA that we have. When I get the coffee here, I try to get a whole sealed big bag, instead of individual pounds.
 
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oriole100

Bronze
Oct 9, 2005
807
18
0
Every time we bring coffee back they open the big bag and then open some of the 1# bags. It's gotten to be such a pain that it's almost not worth brings it back anymore and this is in POP airport. Never had any problems in US.
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,151
6,318
113
South Coast
To the OP: At least they sealed them again - I remember someone posting that they opened a suitcase and it was filled with loose ground coffee....yuck!

AE
 
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edm7583

New member
May 29, 2007
388
32
0
Aren't you with your bags during the customs inspection when returning to the U.S?

I also often return home with at least 20 bags of cafe Santo Domingo. Of all the times, never have my bags been opened. (Come to think of it, not once in years of traveling has U.S. Customs looked through my bags at all on arrival in the USA, and this is after hundreds of trips abroad. The worst I've gotten is my bags going through their x ray)

A few times in Santo Domingo airport, my name was called at the gate and I was taken downstairs to a room where my checked bag was sitting there waiting, and DNCD was there and they asked me to unlock it. They looked at all my coffee and that was the end of it.
 
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SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
Good Afternoon, By way of explanation coffee has been frequently used as a "masking" agent for drugs along with Bounce laundry softener! The DR and the Caribbean are referred to as the "Third" border of the US.
 
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Acira

Silver
Sep 20, 2009
2,510
115
0
www.blazingfuries.com
ccarabella said:
This is the second time this happens.
When I unpacked there was a note stating customs
had inspected my belongings.
Nine coffee packets were opened and sealed with green customs tape.
Sorry guys..no illicit drugs from me!

2e4eebc7.jpg
Click to expand...

Where do you land? They have a very good sniffing dog there apparently :)
Donno who said it here but luggage is often sniffed at when just coming off the plane, no passengers in sight then.
 
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Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
0
38
yahoomail.com
EVERY Time I Go Through "Customs" In The USA,It' ALWAYS A Big Pain In My "A$$"!

They always inspect my "COLON"nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn :eek::eek::cry::cry::cry::cry:

:p:p:p:p:p:p

Cris Colooooooooooooon
 
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LittleBird

New member
Jul 8, 2011
25
0
0
For whatever it might be worth.. Naviera Coffee in Tampa Fla makes a Domincan blend that my Dominican friends turned me onto yrs ago. She tells me it is identical to what she gets at home.
Why can you not make arrangements with the company making the coffee to send it direct to you or your family in the states? It might be more expensive but it would certianly be less hassle than having coffee all over ones clothes or customs tape on the bags.
LB
 
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ccarabella

Newbie
Feb 5, 2002
733
12
0
@bigwhiskey - I travel to DR several times a year from Atlanta. They usually dont check my bags but on occasion I am questioned in the US as to why the frequent trips.

I dont really drink that much of the coffee. One bag may last me a month or two. I have a few friends that really
like the coffee and so I bring it as gifts.

@edem7583 - Bags where not checked in my presence. They opened my bags before I received them. I saw the note in the bag when I got home (USA). They do open your bags and rummage through (not all but some).

@CrissColon - What can I say to that? lol!
 
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Anastacio

Banned
Feb 22, 2010
2,965
235
0
We all have a job and a job to do!

Be happy for the note, my lock was cut off and I was not even aware I'd been scoped until I had admitted no one had tampered with my bags and declared I packed them myself. All of these were none truths in the eyes of the law as customs had been in and so I knew nothing, but gods honest in my mind!
 
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Gemcee

New member
Dec 30, 2009
59
0
0
Have traveled back and forth from D.R to Ottawa, Canada millions of times with coffee...never had them sliced open..thank goodness.
 
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