thanks to /u/Realitybytes_ for the link to
Finally had a chance to go over (briefly) the document on page 34 we see this- (paraphrasing because it won't paste properly) apx 180 million pieces of mail in 2012-13. The number is basically stable, but the number of packages has risen dramatically because of online shopping. This insinuates that the number of letters is declining, which makes sense.
Page 35 has this corker- 'it is neither feasible nor practical to screen all incoming international mail'
So can we please drop the 'all mail to Australia is scanned' ?
It then goes on to state that it is easier to scan air and sea cargo than international mail because of the legal requirements of declaring what is in it. This should put to rest the reason why high priority shipments get nabbed more than mail.
Page 36- interestingly 69% of the letters that come into Aus arrive in Sydney
Page 37- 'Agriculture screens around 44 per cent of non ‐ letter class mail and has not routinely screened letter class mail since 2012; Customs screens around 43 per cent of non ‐letter class mail and around 13 percent of letters.'
so, on to the table described by Realitybytes. He incorrectly listed the year as 2013/14, it was 2013/13 but the other figures from the table are correct
Items checked 46,364,216
Seizures 67,123 BUT, this only lists 'items checked' not 'items imported'. The true number of items imported was 180 million.
So, 180,000,000/ 67,123 = 0.037% chance of seizure. Strangely close to my earlier figure......
BUT remember that's all seizures that are not agricultural- includes weapons, lasers, fake Gucci handbags and all sorts of shit that isn't drugs. And letters get checked at 1/3 of the rate of packages. Vendors- make your shit flat and send it in a letter!
thank you /u/drugpigthrowaway :) but the big question remains, how many packages contain drugs, and how many of those seizures were drug related, America has a total number of packages seized lower than that, and way way way more mail