Controlled Deliveries 101
Controlled Delieveries -
A controlled delievery has one purpose, to get you to take posession of an illegal package.
First off, I will discuss the locations where a controlled delievery will occur. The first is at your home. Now if they are going to do a CD on a package going to your home that makes things a lot easier for them, since it really doesn't force them to do much homework. They can easily find out who you are, and it takes a lot of the pressure off them. Your receiving something at your home, where you live, your more then likely not going to run anywhere once you have the package and its very easy for them to see who is accepting the package, etc. Now if the CD is at say, a post office, it makes it harder for them. At this point, depending on your p.o. box situation, ie; is it registered in your real name or not, they may not know who it is that owns the box. Since theres obviously a reasonable amount of traffic at a post office, they are going to try and find out exactly who will be picking up the package. This is where whether or not the box is in your name can make all the difference in the world. If they don't know who they are looking for, then anyone could walk in, pick up the pack and leave, they aren't going to start throwing the cuffs on anyone walking in and out. They are going to do their best to find out exactly who owns the box, when they are likely going to pick up the pack, etc. If they are unable to, that might be the scenario where they resort to some kind of electronic tracking, I can't say I know much about that or that I've heard of it being used other than the very rarest of occasions. Now there are of course other possibilities for locations where a CD could occur, but the general ideas will be the same, the less info they have on you, the better.
Now onto how the pack will be delievered. From what I've seen, they will generally do their best to have the package arrive to you as it was intended to be. This means if it was sent 3 day express delievery, with no signature required, don't expect them to have it delievered 2 weeks later and want you to sign for it. I mean, at that point, you'd be an idiot to sign for it, but don't assume your package/ delievery will be altered in any drastic way if they are going to attempt a CD. They DO NOT need you to sign for anything to execute a controlled delievery. As I have mentioned before, once you take physical possession of a package you are legally in possession of it, whether you signed for it or not. This means that a CD can also occur with a dropped pack and isn't limited to delievery by a postal worker. Now for the most part, the arrest part of the controlled delievery will likely take place immediately after you take possession of the package. This is to avoid you having a chance to get rid of the package.
Now as far as who will be delievering your pack goes, you can expect in most cases it will be your regular mailman / postal worker. Things are going to work best for LE if they don't make you suspicious or nervous in any way. This also means, don't assume they are going to inform your mail delievery person what is about to take place. So just because the mail person isn't shaking nervously when he tries to give you your package, doesn't mean everything is fine, he may not even know whats going on.
Also I've heard a million times that if you leave the pack sit in your p.o. box or at your doorstep for a week, things will be fine. Wrong. If they are going to the trouble of setting up a CD, its reasonable to assume they will put a decent amount of effort into it. This may include setting up surveillance on you / your home and waiting a fair amount of time for you to pick up the package. Don't count on them giving up on things because you didn't pick up the pack the day it arrived.
Lastly, what warrants a CD as opposed to just having items seized? Of course there is a few factors involved including but not limited to; amount of units seized, number of substances seized, the laws on possession of the seized substances in your area( drug schedule ) and of course the general availiability of law enforcement to setup and execute a controlled delievery in your area. However, probably the most heavily weighted factor involved is whether or not there have been any previous seizures involving the person / address the package was intended for. Previous seizures, give them reason to assume that yes, this pack was meant for you and yes, you probably are in possession of more gear. Therefore, I can't stress enough, if you have a seizure, don't use that name or that addy again.
Be cautious, be aware and stay safe!
- R
