For years, Indianapolis police have been stationing officers and drug dogs at the city's massive FedEx hub — the second largest in the country — and systematically seizing cash from packages passing through on their way between other states. Indiana has no connection to the senders, the recipients, or the transactions. The only connection is geography: FedEx routes packages through Indianapolis, and Indiana law enforcement has decided that's enough. When a drug dog alerts to a package and cash is found, the Marion County Prosecutor files civil forfeiture proceedings to keep the money — without ever identifying which law was broken or what crime was committed. Henry and Minh Cheng, a California jewelry wholesaling couple, had $42,825 seized this way — a legitimate payment from a Virginia client routed through Indianapolis by FedEx. Among the "suspicious" factors used to justify opening their package: the box had all its seams taped, exactly as FedEx recommends. Since 2022, Indiana has pursued forfeiture on more than $2.5 million from at least 130 packages in transit between other states, keeping roughly $1 million of it. The Chengs eventually got their money back after suing, but only after hiring lawyers and fighting a forfeiture action filed in a state they'd never set foot in.
Commentary: Indiana has essentially set up a toll booth on the FedEx conveyor belt — except instead of a dollar, they take everything in the package and dare you to come to Indiana and fight about it. The genius of the scheme is that most victims do the math, realize hiring an out-of-state lawyer costs more than what was stolen, and just let the government keep it. That's not a bug; that's the business model.
📷 Image: https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/images/2020-06/drug-dog-sniffs-mail-2400.jpg Credit: DHS Photo by Benjamin Applebaum / U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Public Domain
⚠️ This content was researched and written with AI assistance and may be fully AI-generated. All facts are sourced from the linked article.
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