I just heard today from many reliable sources (and this information is also available publicly so it is no secret) that customs has just started a program which will be opening significantly more of our international mail then ever before. I am not sure how they are deciding what to/not to open but I do know that I higher percentage of "suspect" mail is now being opened and searched. Specifically, I did hear them say that mail from the Philipines is one of the places. I do not believe (or so they say) they are targeting anyting but terrorist related intelligence but the consequences for IOP shipments will likely be affected by the larger percentage/number of items searched and seized when found. And they are actually opening and inspecting your mail (not just x-raying it). I have a friend who is in the import export business and receives frequent business correspondence from Asia and the Middle East and he just told me that out of the 40 letters he received over the past week, more than a dozen were opened and resealed. Additionally, customs is taking alot longer to release some shipments due to the increased inspections so even shipping times for incoming airmail may be affected. It may be why some peoples shipments are taking up to 30 days to arrive when they once took 2 weeks.
It is hard to tell from just the boards if these actions have actually resulted in significantly more seizures.

Has naybody else had similar experiences or have any additional information about international mail "hotspots"?