damn customs

[Don Fernando]

if they only knew the rules.

I got a letter today, a package that I send myself (using the address of a friend as return address) when I was in the US a few weeks ago got confiscated even though

Articles sent for commercial purposes will not be admitted unless the addressee has obtained an import permit issued by the Centrale Dienst voor Inen Uitvoer, van Stolkweg 14, Gravenhage, and where necessary, a currency permit issued by the Nederlandsche Bank at Amsterdam.

Authorization from the Nederlandsche Bank is required to be obtained by the addressee for the importation of current instruments of payment; securities; acknowledgments of debt; and shares of stock.

Cigarettes or tobacco products will be admitted only if they are sent from one private individual to another without any compensation or payment and if the package contains no more than 800 cigarettes, 400 cigars, or 1 kilogram (approximately 2.2 lbs.) of shag or cigarette tobacco.

Meat or meat products (including poultry and wild game) and milk or milk products cannot exceed 1 kilogram (approximately 2.2 lbs.), and any such products must be accompanied by a veterinary certificate issued by the responsible official authority from the country of origin.

It wasn't a commercial shipment, less then 400 cigars, so it was allowed. I hate customs.