blackfriar

Finally received my goods from Parcelforce. No further contact from the police. Many thanks to everyone for the input. Hopefully this thread will be of help to someone in a similar situation in future!

I received a bill for Duty and VAT plus "clearance fee" (well done, Parcelforce!) this morning. As of writing, the police have not been back in touch to confirm any appointments for questioning.

On facebook group I belong to, I posed the same problem and asked for advice going forward - a lot of them are of the opinion I should get myself a solicitor. Does anyone here echo that? It seems unnecessary to me at this stage, when they just want to ask a few questions and I have nothing to hide. What do you think?

HDAV, this conversation is going in a very odd direction. I'm not quite sure what you're getting at, but carry on by all means! I'll update the thread as I receive more news. Thanks to all.

One of the plain clothes officers, who originally knocked our door, called tonight at around 10pm. I assumed the timing of the call was intentional. They were thoroughly pleasant and polite, and plainly told me the call was to find out if I knew about the contents of the package from the USA. They explained the nature of the contents had alerted the authorities and asked if I was free for chat in person next week. I explained my motivations and told them about my desire to get involved with "Practical Shotgun". I explained I was not currently a shooter, nor was I a club member/license holder but had bought the stuff during a good sale and in anticipation of starting a new hobby. Anyway, they said they were satisfied with me and I sounded reasonable. They would have a word with the customs control, and my goods should be released. I politely emphasised my desire to receive my property as the cost was not insignificant. They agreed. I have no idea if they will actually want to meet with me next week, but we have provisionally arranged a date. I assume they will. How do airsofters manage to buy head-to-toe Delta Force outfits, including body armour, night vision and working comms?!

fortune, yes, the company makes very good stuff but their marketing is very macho. Again, not to sound pedantic but ******* and jeffing isn't illegal - yet! I did actually have a concern about this, and asked their customer service what, if any, controversial language or text may have been included on the invoice/etc. They said it would have just showed the total cost and what I purchased. I'm happy to keep this thread updated if it helps people out in future.

Thanks all for the comments and advice so far. A.J.P. - thanks for the advice. I have seen PSG competitors using waist-belt shell holders, so I assumed (maybe wrongly) that a chest mounted shell holder, with greater capacity, would be a faster and safer alternative. Faster because the hand would have less distance to travel from the receiver of the gun, and safer because of less time time fumbling for shells under tight time constraints. Thanks for letting me know. I'll look into this. Lord v - yes, the company's promotion included some mystery free gifts in the box. I got in touch with them yesterday, and although they couldn't confirm the exact contents they said it would have been something akin to a novelty toy and/or stickers/velcro patches. kennett - yes, I can certainly see why they would want to investigate this angle and I have no problem with it. CharlieT - I too am thankful for the difficult work the Police undertake to keep us safe, but the name calling isn't called for.

Hi there! I wonder if anyone with some legal knowledge can help me out. I purchased a "12ga Micro Rig" and some shell holders from a custom nylon gear company in the states. It is a Cordura nylon shotgun shell holder vest thing, along with a few shotgun shell "cards" which are rectangular 6 shell holders which you can attach velcro to and attach/remove from the stock or receiver. I really want to get into Practical Shotgun (sport target shooting) as it looks like awesome fun! I have ordered and paid for bits of nylon and velcro from the US and they have been held up at UK customs in Coventry for nearly a month now. None of the goods are controlled and I certainly have not broken any laws by importing them. I've made a few attempts to contact Parcelforce about the delay and have been met with an answer of "Sorry, it's out of our hands!". Yesterday, mid morning, two plain clothes gentlemen knocked on my flat door while I was at work. Girlfriend was in. They did not introduce themselves, nor did they show any identification/collar numbers. They had what looked like an A4 print-out, and it appeared to have bullet-points or small images on it. One of them asked for me by name, then asked for my mobile number (which she gave). The GF noticed they both had "cheap, tacky looking" dark nylon wallet-like things on their chest (no lanyards) with "POLICE" on the front in big bold letters. My GF said to me they looked like something you'd buy from Ebay and it made her suspicious at the time. They said thanks, bye and cleared off. I have received no contact from "them" since. I called Police Scotland on 101 and the cops ran a check against my name and address and found nothing against my details, nor did they have any history of the visit. After waiting at home ALL DAY for a visit from uniformed police which never happened I was starting to feel pretty confused However, I received a call from a female police operator this yesterday evening who said she can confirm "they" were indeed genuine police officers at the door and said they were from Police Scotland Border Patrol. It seems this branch of the police is engaged in counter-terrorism and fighting organised crime amongst other things. She said they would be in touch for a chat with me tomorrow, but as of yet, nobody has called or appeared at my address. I called 101 this evening to verify everything and they confirmed it to be genuine. Now, I have nothing to hide but the goods I ordered are not illegal to own or import, and I have paid for them so I believe I should receive them without further delay. Simultaneously, I do not want to go about this the wrong way and prolong this matter. If you were in my position, what would you say/do in order to get this cleared up ASAP with minimal fuss. Would you invite police, in this situation, in your home or ask to go to a local Police Station? Are any of my rights being infringed? Just to clarify - I do not currently belong to any shooting clubs, nor do I shoot. I do not have any kind of firearms license. I purchased the 12ga Micro Rig, directly from the US, as the company was running a time limited sale with a significant discount. I have wanted to get into Practical Shotgun for years and years. Now I have relocated/have slightly more disposable income, I'm in a position to think about going ahead and get involved with the hobby. I had envisioned buying a gun safe, joining a club and eventually applying for a licence/buy a gun in 2017... if all goes well. Cheers folks! Here's a link to the thing we are talking about: https://www.original.../12ga-micro-rig