Procedures for dealing EXPORTED goods which are prohibited (Posted from any place to foreign country)

124.  Articles containing goods prohibited  from export. -  If an article
posted at any place in India and addressed to a foreign country is actually found,
while in course of transmission by post, to contain anything the export of which either
generally or to that particular destination is prohibited by the clause bearing the
heading “Local prohibitions” in the Inland Post section or by the clauses bearing the
heading “Articles Prohibited form export” in the Foreign Post, it should be endorsed
“Contains prohibited (name of the prohibited article)” and sent for disposal to the
R.L.O. either direct or, in the case of sub-offices, through the Head Office, except in
cases in which orders are in existence for the disposal of such articles in a different
manner.
NOTE.-  See also Rule 221 of the Indian Post Office Rules.- 1933.(Source: http://www.indiapost.gov.in/PM_VOL_5.pdf)

Procedures for dealing imported goods which are dutiable or prohibited at office of delivery(Post office)

123.   Articles prohibited from important or liable to customs duty. -   (1)
When there is good reasons to supposed that an article passing through the post
contains any goods (a) the import of which into Indian by post is prohibited, or (b)
when are liable to duty, it should be forwarded in a cover for in the case of a parcel, in
a bag) marked “Doubtful” addressed to the Postmaster of the office of destination,
with a note explaining the reasons for suspecting the article. Special case should be
exercised in the examination of bulky artic les of the inward foreign letter mail.

EXCEPTION 1. -   Any article of the class  referred to in (b) detected at the
offices of exchange of Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and at the sub-exchange
offices alt Ahmedabad, Bangalore, cochin and Jaipur should be made over to the
nearest Collector of Customs and assessed before it is delivered or transmitted
onwards by post, as the case may be,  Articles containing fictitious stamps as defined
in sub-section (4) of Section 263-A of the Indian Penal Code, if detected at those
offices, should similarly be made over to the nearest Collector of Customs for
disposal.
EXCEPTION 2. -   inward articles of the foreign mail prepaid at the latter
rate which contain dutiable goods and are furnished on the address side with either a
green label marked “Douane” (Customs) showing the nature, weight and value of he
contents or a green label marked “Douane” accompanied  by a separate customs
declaring should be detained for customs examination.
(2)  If an article received for delivery (a) is suspected to contain anything
the important of which is prohibited or which is liable to duty or  (b) is enclosed in a
cover or bag marked “Doubtful”, the Postmaster should send a notice in writing to the
addressee inviting him to attend either in person or by agent within 48 hours at the
Post Office.  He should, under the authority given in Section 24 of the Post Office
Act, open and examine the article in the presence of the addressee or his agent, or in
his absence if he fails to attend within the time specified, reporting the matter to the
Head of the Circle.  In sub-offices, the opening and examination of the article should,
if the addressee fails to attend, be done in the presence of two respectable witnesses.
(3) When an article has been opened in the office of delivery, action
should be taken as follows:-
(a) If found to contain anything on which customs duty is payable it
should be sent to the nearest Collector of Customs for disposal.
(b) If found to contain any intoxicating drugs the importation of which is
prohibited, it should be made over with all its contents, to the nearest
Customs Collector for disposal in accordance with the provisions of
the Sea Customs Act, 1878 (VII of 1878), applicable to prohibitions
and restrictions imposed under Section. 19 of he said Act.  If found
to contain circulars relating to lotteries, it should  be forwarded to the
R.L.O. concerned for return to the sender. If found to contain unset
diamonds, fire-arms, military stores or articles, other than explosives,
included in the term  “ammunition” as defined in  the Indian Post
Office Rules relating to prohibited category articles, or fictitious as
defined in sub-section (4) of Section 263-A of the Indian Penal Code,
the article should not be delivered to the addressee, but the
Postmaster should at once take steps, in accordance with the
procedure laid down in the Postal Manual, Volume -VI, to forward
the article to  the chief post of the state nearest to the office of  delivery to be made over to the Customs authorities for any action
that may be considered necessary.  In cases where an article is found
to contain explosives, the Postmaster should act on the instructions
contained in Rule 122 (1) (a).  If the article is found to  contain
anything else, the importation of which is prohibited, it should be
detained and the case reported for the orders of the Head of the
Circle/Region.
(4) When once an article has been opened for the purposes mentioned
above, the Post Office is bound to exercise scrupulous care in checking and repacking
the contents at every stage so as to prevent loss or damage in transit.  T he out
covering used for repacking should be of sufficiently substantial material to afford
adequate protection to the contents.
(5) In the event of repacking of he insured foreign inward articles as
prescribed above, a demand from the addressee or the sender to have an open delivery
of such articles should be acceded to.
NOTE.-   In sub-offices, articles found to contain anything the importation
of which is prohibited should be sent to the Head Office, except when found to
contain intoxicating drugs in which case they should be made over with all the
contents to the nearest Collector of Customs for the adoption of such further
proceedings as may be deemed proper.

airport sorting office in India for AIR MAILS

Airport Sorting Office, Mumbai
Kokkata Air Sorting, Kolkata
Airport Sorting Office, Chennai

what is foreign post office and which is relevant for your delivery

13. Off ice of Exchange, Offices of exchange of transit bags, Foreign Post
Offices and Sub-Foreign Post Offices.-  (a) A Post Office or Sorting Office or Section
which exchanges mails with offices in foreign countries is known as an “Office of
Exchange”.    It is referred to as the dispatching office of exchange in respect of
mails it makes up and addresses to an office of exchange in another country, while it
is called the receiving office of exchange in respect of mails addressed to it  by an
office of exchange f rom another country.  The term “outward office of exchange” and
“inward office of exchange” are also used to describe them.  Even offices functioning
as both inward and outward offices of exchange may function in one of the capacities
only for certain countries.(b)  An Office of Exchange on the border which only receives and dispatches
closed bags addressed to or received from other offices of exchange in India is known
as an “Office of Exchange of transit”.   Such an office will not close bags for foreign
countries or open inward foreign bags.  Its function is only to exchange mails with the
carrier or with the officials of a foreign administration.
( c)  A “Foreign Post Office” is an office of exchange in which the work of
assessment of customs duty on foreign mails is also carried out. Although mails may
be intercepted (and articles not suspected to contain anything dutiable released) in
many exchange offices, the work of actual assessment of duty (and opening of articles
for this purpose where necess ary) is done only in the Foreign Post Offices.  Articles
received in one office of exchange and suspected to contain dutiable goods, for
delivery from an office nearer another office of exchange are directed to the latter for
actual examination and assessment of duty.
)
(d) A “Sub-Foreign Post Office” is an office which is not an exchange office
(i.e., which does not close bags for other countries and which does not receive from
foreign countries bags addressed it) but in which the work of customs examination,
assessment and accounting of customs duty is carried out.  Such sub-Foreign Post
Offices are opened mainly for the convenience of senders and addressees who may be
required to present documents, etc., for the release or dispatch of their foreign articles.

(Souce:http://www.indiapost.gov.in/PM_VOL_5.pdf)

Delivery of insured articles

42. Delivery of insured articles. – An article insured for any sum not exceeding Rs. 500
will be delivered in the ordinary manner.  An article insured for more than Rs. 500 will be
delivered only at the Post Office window, intimation of arrival being sent by the post office to the
addressee.  The addressee of an insured article or his agent, authorized in writing, must sign in ink
both the receipt and acknowledgement relating thereto unless the outward appearance of the cover
gives rise to suspicion of tampering.  In such cases he should arrange to open the article at the post
office, in the presence of the postmaster, and to have its contents entered in an inventory which
will be prepared in duplicate and must be signed by the addressee.  One copy of the signed
inventory will be forwarded by the post office to the sender with unsigned acknowledgement
attached to it.  In case, the addressee or his agent is not known to the staff of the post office from
which the insured article is to be delivered, the identification of the addressee or his age nt by a
person known to the post office staff or production of evidence which will establish his identity to
the satisfaction of the Postmaster will be necessary if so required by the delivering post office
official.
NOTE 1 : When an insured article issued for delivery is not accepted by the addressee it will not be sent out a
second time; an intimation of its arrival will be made over to him and the article will be delivered at the
post office on presentation of the intimation with the receipt and acknowledgement duly signed.  If the
addressee of an insured article after an intimation of its arrival has been delivered, omits to take
delivery of the article within the time specified in the intimation it will be returned to the sender as
refused.
NOTE 2 : When the receipt and acknowledgement duly signed together with the intimation are presented by the
addressee or his agent to the Post Office, he must place his signature on the intimation in the presence
of the delivery assistant of the post office and surrender the intimation to the post office if delivery is
taken.
43. Delivery of V.P. articles. – (1) If the amount to be recovered on a value payable article
exceeds Rs. 100 an intimation of its arrival will be sent by the office of destination to the
addressee.  Such article will be delivered at the post office on payment of the amount entered in
the form or receipt on the reverse of the intimation in cash and on presentation at the post office of
the intimation with the receipt on the reverse duly signed.
(2) If the amount to be recovered on a value-payable article does not exceed Rs. 100, the
article will be delivered to the addressee or his agent authorized in writing by the postman at the
addressee’s residence on payment of the amount recoverable and on the addressee or his agent
authorized in writing signing the receipt on the reverse of the intimation presented with the article.
(3) If the amount to be recovered on a value-payable article exceeds Rs.25 and the delivery
is to be made through a village postman or an extra-departmental delivery agent then the article is
delivered at the post office only in the manner prescribed in sub-clause (1).
(4) If the amount to be recovered on a value-payable article be not below Rs. 20 and the
article is taken delivery of at the counter of the post office, the amount may be paid either in cash
or by cheque under the conditions indicated in clause 94(a).

Delivery of registered articles

DELIVERY
35. Definition. – The delivery of a postal article at the house or office of the addressee or
to addressee or his servant or agent or other person considered to be authorized to receive the
article according to the usual manner of delivering postal articles to the addressee is deemed to be
delivered to the addressee under the Post Office Act.
36. Delivery of registered articles – No registered articles of any kind will be delivered to
the addressee unless and until he or his agent authorized in writing has signed a receipt for it, in the
prescribed form which will be presented to him for signature by the postman who delivers the
registered article.37. Refusal of registered articles presented for  delivery  – If the addressee, while
refusing to take delivery on presentation of the registered article to him, makes an application in
writing to the post office of delivery for the detention of the article or if the addressee is not found
at the address given on the article, the article shall be detained in the post office for a period not
exceeding 7 days from the date of its presentation to the addressee or from the date it is last sent
out for delivery as the case may be.  If the addressee fails to take  delivery of the article from the
post office within the said period of seven days, the article will be returned to the office of posting
for delivery to the sender.  The remark ‘Refused’ will be recorded on the article if the addressee
fails to take delivery after requesting for detention.
NOTE -  The expression ‘office of posting’ means the delivery post office which serves the address of the sender.
38. Special procedure for delivering registered articles to firms etc.  – Registered
articles for delivery to Firms, etc., which normally receive a large number of registered articles, are
entered in a special list in duplicate which is presented along with the articles acknowledgement
forms etc., to the addressee who will be required to sign the upper copy  in token of receipt of the
lower copy of the list along with all the articles and return the signed acknowledgements.  No
individual receipts will be prepared for the articles entered in the special list.  Articles on which
any charges are to be recovered will not be entered in the special list.
(Source:http://www.indiapost.gov.in/PO_Guide_Part-1.pdf)

damaged article and insured parcels

40. Delivery  of damaged registered article of the letter and parcel mail. – When a
registered articles of the letter mail or a parcel is received in the office of delivery in a damaged
condition, a notice will be sent by the postmaster of that office to the addressee requesting him to
attend the post office within seven days in the case of inland articles and fifteen days in the case of
foreign article to take delivery of it either personally or through an agent.  This notice will have to
be produced at the Post Office  before delivery is effected and if presented by an agent his name
should be entered on the form before it leaves the addressee’s custody.(Source:http://www.indiapost.gov.in/PO_Guide_Part-1.pdf)

Do not open parcel if there is a doubt that excess duty on foreign article has been asked

50. Refusal of articles.  – The addressee of an article is not bound to pay the amount due
on it to the Post Office if he does not want to take delivery of it.  In this case the word “Refused”
will be written by the Postman across the cover.
51. Obligation to pay charges. - When a person takes delivery of an article on which any
sum is due to the Post Office, he  must pay the amount marked upon it.  Any complaint of
overcharge should be made to the postmaster of the office of delivery to whom the article should
be taken before being opened.
52. Remedy of post office for recovery of charges due.  - If a person, after taking
delivery of an article on which any postage or other sum or customs duty is payable, refuses to pay
the amount marked as due, it will be recovered from him in the same way as a fine imposed under
the Post Office Act and the Post Office has further the power of withholding from him until such
charge be paid or recovered, any article addressed, to him not being on India Government Service.
( Source: http://www.indiapost.gov.in/PO_Guide_Part-1.pdf)

If customs duty is more than Rs 50 than parcels are delivered at Post office window

40. Delivery  of damaged registered article of the letter and parcel mail. – When a
registered articles of the letter mail or a parcel is received in the office of delivery in a damaged
condition, a notice will be sent by the postmaster of that office to the addressee requesting him to
attend the post office within seven days in the case of inland articles and fifteen days in the case of
foreign article to take delivery of it either personally or through an agent.  This notice will have to
be produced at the Post Office  before delivery is effected and if presented by an agent his name
should be entered on the form before it leaves the addressee’s custody.

41. Delivery of parcels and period of their detention at the office of  delivery  – (1) A
parcel which does not exceed 10 Kg. in weight (except Value-payable parcel and those addressed
to Poste Restante) will be issued for delivery only once and if it cannot be delivered through any
cause on first presentation by the postman it will be brought back to the post office and will not be
issued again for delivery.  A notice of arrival of the parcel will, however, be issued at the next
delivery through the postman to the addressee for taking delivery of the parcel either personally or
by an agent or messenger authorized for the purpose.  A parcel weighing above 10 kilograms in
weight will be delivered only at the post office window.  A similar notice will be issued to the
addressees in such a case also.  Should the addressee or his authorized agent fail to take delivery of
the parcel at the post office within seven days from the date of presentation of the notice, the parcel will, on the expiry of that period, be treated as “Unclaimed” and disposed of according to
the rules of the Department


44. Delivery of articles on which Customs duty is due - Articles on which customs duty
to be recovered is in excess of Rs. 50 are ordinarily delivered at the post office window, except in
the case of Presidency and all the post office window, except in the case of Presidency and all First
Class head Offices where this limit is fixed at Rs. 100.  Such duty may be paid either in cash or by
cheque, the latter under the conditions laid down in clause 94.
( Source: http://www.indiapost.gov.in/PO_Guide_Part-1.pdf