Customs Searches at ferry ports/Eurotunnel

N, it could be drug related searches, the news out of EU is there have been drug busts of €Billions recently. It’s a well known ruse of drug runners to use seemingly innocent travelers As mules to fool the authorities. It could be the fact you look respectable that caused the search. Unless the search became intimate I’d not stress too much. It is difficult to prove unwarranted searches of the person by authorities given the power of body searches of the person. If a male conducted the search then it would be an instant vocal complaint. 

Pat down searches of passengers at ports are not normal but Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 allows them to happen.

This year via the tunnel we only experienced the usual check to make sure our gas was switched off. Passport checks are a little more vigorous but apart from that the journey was much the same as before Brexit. In the past we have been checked more thoroughly, once during the UK foot and mouth outbreak and another time during a heightened terrorist alert when we were scanned for explosives. I did note that they still have lanes to pull off selected veicles for more thorough searches and there are still armed guards present!

peedee

I would be inclined to write to border force and port authorities, simply asking why you were searched. You may wait a time for a reply and you may have to remind them of your request. I have not heard of this happening before. Having said this, if someone was up to no good they wouldn’t confess to being searched.

if you don’t enquire you may well always wonder why it happened. Was it something that you inadvertently did to arouse suspicion. 
Also thank you for letting people know. I think it is important that we know this sort of thing happens. I think we are all prepared for our vans and cars to be searched but not our person.

I wouldn't expect a reply as they have no duty to tell you why they searched you. I'd just put it down to experience unless the officer concerned was abusive in any way.

I suspect it was more to do with your return Port in the UK. Even years ago the Customs Officers were more questioning at Poole and Portsmouth than they ever were at the likes of Dover or the Tunnel were the need for searching is more intelligence led. Mind you we did have a funny incident at Dover some years ago where we pulled into the Customs shed, on the outward journey,  with caravan in tow and asked the purpose of our journey. Almost mid sentence the officer looked up and said, ah, your going on holiday having just realised we were towing a caravan!

David

Since Brexit we have travelled to France 4 times, sometimes tunnel sometimes ferry.

We have never been stopped and searched just the usual is the gas turned off. This time we didn't even get asked that.

What a change to years ago returning on leave from Germany, everytime we came through France the customs would pull us over and want us to empty the car. On one trip OH was on his own as I had flown with the boys.

OH had the car full of our last minute items like vacuum cleaner and washing machine as we were being posted back to the UK. Having driven from north Germany after taking us to the airport and handed the quarter back, he was short on patience. The French customs as usual requested he empty the car, it was a Peugeot 504 estate and packed to the roof. He opened the tailgate and said be my guest if you want it emptied I suggest you do it or words to that effect. They took one look in shrugged their shoulders and waved him through.

Servicemen and their families were often targeted by customs. 

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"Also thank you for letting people know. I think it is important that we know this sort of thing happens. I think we are all prepared for our vans and cars to be searched but not our person"

happens all the time at airports, i have 2 replacement knees, and had a  trapeziectomy on both my thumbs, so all bells go when i pass thru the scanner, so always get a pat down, unfortunately normally from some bruiser of a bloke

cant see why this is "3rd degree" i spent most of my business life flying in and out of airports etc, these sort of questions were par for the course, provided you gave your answers politely there was never a problem, i think some people get very self defensive at some customs posts because in many countries the people manning these posts carry guns, something we never saw in the UK