Expats in this TX based oil & gas company could send personal mail and small packages along with the company mail. A well-meaning HR employee added an expats package to the company packet going to Saudi Arabia without checking the contents of the package.
The mail got stuck in SA customs as the package contained small Pokemon toys that one expat had ordered for his son! Poekmon toys are banned in Saudi Arabia (go figure!) so they held the entire shipment. Company legal and in country staff had to get involved but after 3 weeks, SA customs destroyed the entire shipment.
Now, we help the company by ensuring the expats can still get their items but they are never shipped with company mail. We know what can or cannot be shipped to any country. So, we advise the expat beforehand if a package contains something that is illegal for import in the expat’s country of residence. This helps them avoid hassle and shipping costs.