BPA Policy on Cargo & Contraband

[Athenian]

<div align="center]New Scotland Yard issued this announcement this morning:

The Ministry of Justice has outlined new measures to deal with incidents of petty theft facilitated by the use of illegal technologies in Bretonia.

A law passed by Parliament recently prohibits scanners sold after today from receiving frequencies allocated to the X-band. It is also illegal to modify scanners to receive these frequencies, and also to sell scanners that could be easily modified to do so. An order issued by the Ministry this morning prohibits the use of scanners in any vehicle unless the operator's job requires the use of a scanner in a vehicle (ie, Police, Fire, Utilities, Customs and Excise) or unless holding a license issued by the BPA.

In short, the use of cargo scanners to identify the contents of a ship's hold is illegal in Bretonia.

While possession of a cargo scanner is not an offense, the general guidelines to follow when using a cargo scanner are that it is illegal to:

• scan the cargo of any private craft,
  
• record information relating to armaments on military craft or installations,
  
• sell or import cargo scanners or use information received for personal gain
  
• use information received to aid in the commission of a crime, or
  
• disclose information received to other persons.
  

• Use of cargo scanners carries the following penalties:
  
• a fine of 50 credits for first-time offenders
  
• a fine of 150 credits for second-time offenders
  
• a prison sentence of up to six months and a fine of up to 150 000 credits for a third offence
  

Identity scanners may still be sold and used without fear of legal consequence. However it has come to the attention of the Ministry that certain criminal organisations have made unblocked versions available on the black market.

The Chief Commissioner refused to comment on the role of commercial interests in creating pressure for the legislation to be passed and dismissed rumours that Kusari spies had been using scanners to gather intelligence on Bretonian defenses.

However, a source at the Yard had this to say.

"The legality of cargo scanners has always been controversial. Certain disreputable types use these things all the time to target ships either for direct acts of piracy or they liase with gangs on loading docks who rob the cargo once the ship lands.

As it stands, we are on very thin ice from a legal point of view if we intercept anyone carrying drugs or any controlled cargo based on a tip-off from an unlicensed scanner user. Even if they do mean well, an illegal scan could mean a smuggler gets off on a technicality. We'll be needing more Constables on the beat, certainly.

Spies? Don't be ridiculous. There are no spies in Bretonia. The border is too well-protected."

A partial copy of the Privacy Act of 816AS is available from the Yard.

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Former member of "the most paranoid group of people in the community"
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