Opened Sealed Envelope at the Airport in Accra

[Akua Abeku 0]

Abeku went to the aiport on Friday, April 2, 2010 with his passport/visa. Although he got processed without any problems at check-in, an employee at one of the gates insisted that he hand over his sealed envelope for inspection. Abeku protested saying that he had explicit directions to not open the envelope and to give it ONLY to authorities in Customs at the Port of Entry at JFK. Well, this women refused him entry through the gates without the envelope. So, he gave it to her. As she opened it, however, he panicked. His heart dropped. He then took it from her and returned to the check-in gates. Delta told him to return to the embassy to get another seal. He screamed, "I will miss my flight if I do that. My fiance is waiting for me. I need you to fix this!" After a hostile screaming match between he and them, A White American Delta employee intervened and called Customs at JFK and explained the mistake. He told Abeku things would be okay in New York. Needless to say, Abeku was distressed all the way to JFK thinking he would be turned back. (By the way I got a one-way ticket from Accra to JFK for just $1155.) In the meantime, I called Customs and Border Patrol @718-553-1688 in New York and got a verification that Abeku would be fine with his opened envelope. Thanks to God, Abeku did indeed go through customs without any problems. Please tell your loved ones in Ghana, however, to not allow airport employees in Accra to open your sealed envelope. THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO DO SO!!!!

In the meantime, Abeku is here. Thank God he spoke up and refused to be intimidated by a few nasty and incompetent workers. God is on our side. Again, His mercy endureth forever.

[nane1104 146]

Whoa, I can see how that would stress you out! How did you get to know about this disaster?

Anyway, I am glad he made it through immigrations and customs okay and very happy, you two are together at last!:-)

[Otto 83]

Just so folks know - and not that it might have mattered much in the OP's case - all these sealed/do-not-open envelopes have a corner cut - this allows for inspection without opening it.

[Martyshk 137]

Just so folks know - and not that it might have mattered much in the OP's case - all these sealed/do-not-open envelopes have a corner cut - this allows for inspection without opening it.

good to know!

[raymaga 25]

Thankfully, it all worked out well. Best wishes for a happy life together here in the U.S.!!!

[~Johnny~ 27]

This must happen a lot. In the past month, there have been several posts of VJ about their SO opening their envelopes. Don't these have a big "Do Not Open" posted on them? I already told my fiancee a few times to NOT open that envelope and she gets upset when I mention it (she says..uhh I can read ya know??), but I keep thinking about the people here that have their SO's open these letters and then they have to go back to embassy and try to get things back and order.

I know this is different than the OP, and it's good that this issue of the Delta gate person is being brought up (I'm sure this has happened before). I will definitely let my fiancee know, that NO ONE but a US Customs Agent should touch that envelope! And if the airlines' gate person has problems have then she needs to have them call for US Customs agent.

[JohnAnwesha 4]

Just so folks know - and not that it might have mattered much in the OP's case - all these sealed/do-not-open envelopes have a corner cut - this allows for inspection without opening it.

Indeed good information ,thanks !!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Just so folks know - and not that it might have mattered much in the OP's case - all these sealed/do-not-open envelopes have a corner cut - this allows for inspection without opening it.

Sorry but no. Mine didn't. I'm also pretty sure none of the other Aussies that I've spoken with had theirs with cuts either. Mine was 100% sealed and undamaged with a huge "DO NOT OPEN" sticker" Sounds like the "cut" is a country specific thing or perhaps a new measure.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony

[Otto 83]

Sorry but no. Mine didn't. I'm also pretty sure none of the other Aussies that I've spoken with had theirs with cuts either. Mine was 100% sealed and undamaged with a huge "DO NOT OPEN" sticker" Sounds like the "cut" is a country specific thing or perhaps a new measure.

Sorry but YES.

[nane1104 146]

I am pretty sure mine was closed all the way- I remember because I was trying to take a glimpse inside and there was no way to see anything. What makes you so sure that they all have that?

On another note: I had my envelope in my carry-on bag and nobody even asked me for it when I checked in or went through security nor when I boarded. I only took it out at my POE and once someone saw me with it, I got taken out of the line to get processed.

I guess based on my visa they would have known about me having an envelope but yeah, It didn't even accure to me that someone would want to see it when I left my homecountry but now it seems that's common practice?!?

[solmarc 7]

Abeku went to the aiport on Friday, April 2, 2010 with his passport/visa. Although he got processed without any problems at check-in, an employee at one of the gates insisted that he hand over his sealed envelope for inspection. Abeku protested saying that he had explicit directions to not open the envelope and to give it ONLY to authorities in Customs at the Port of Entry at JFK. Well, this women refused him entry through the gates without the envelope. So, he gave it to her. As she opened it, however, he panicked. His heart dropped. He then took it from her and returned to the check-in gates. Delta told him to return to the embassy to get another seal. He screamed, "I will miss my flight if I do that. My fiance is waiting for me. I need you to fix this!" After a hostile screaming match between he and them, A White American Delta employee intervened and called Customs at JFK and explained the mistake. He told Abeku things would be okay in New York. Needless to say, Abeku was distressed all the way to JFK thinking he would be turned back. (By the way I got a one-way ticket from Accra to JFK for just $1155.) In the meantime, I called Customs and Border Patrol @718-553-1688 in New York and got a verification that Abeku would be fine with his opened envelope. Thanks to God, Abeku did indeed go through customs without any problems. Please tell your loved ones in Ghana, however, to not allow airport employees in Accra to open your sealed envelope. THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO DO SO!!!!

In the meantime, Abeku is here. Thank God he spoke up and refused to be intimidated by a few nasty and incompetent workers. God is on our side. Again, His mercy endureth forever.

I am really sorry that happen, i am an Airline employee and every agent knows WE R NOT ALLOW TO OPEN ENVELOPE!!!

[Akua Abeku 0]

Whoa, I can see how that would stress you out! How did you get to know about this disaster?

Anyway, I am glad he made it through immigrations and customs okay and very happy, you two are together at last!:-)

Hello Nane:

Thanks for the well wishes. I found out about the near disaster because he borrowed someone's phone at the airport at 4 a.m. Ohio time and called me in a panick. So, between his front desk crisis and my many telephone calls starting at 8 a.m. to several numbers to Delta, and later Customs, we were able to bring about some resolution to this near crisis. Again, I thank God for everything working out.

I wish you the best as well. Take care.

[HeatDeath 430]

Sorry but no. Mine didn't. I'm also pretty sure none of the other Aussies that I've spoken with had theirs with cuts either. Mine was 100% sealed and undamaged with a huge "DO NOT OPEN" sticker" Sounds like the "cut" is a country specific thing or perhaps a new measure.

I crossed at a land crossing, so fortunately I didn't have to deal with any intrusive airport personnel.

My "Do not open" K-1 envelope, issued at Vancouver Canada, didn't have a cut corner either. It was actually two envelopes, both white, one quite a bit thicker than the other, both marked "Do not open". There was an elastic holding the two together, with a cover letter on the outside. They may or may not have been stapled together, I don't recall. The thinner envelope contained the three copies of my medical, and the thicker one was the rest of my immigration file up to that point. The cover letter just described that I had been issued a nonimmigrant fiance visa, repeated the instruction not to open these envelopes, and reiterated the time limit for PoEing and marrying, and repeated the eventual necessity to AOS.

[Akua Abeku 0]

I am really sorry that happen, i am an Airline employee and every agent knows WE R NOT ALLOW TO OPEN ENVELOPE!!!

Thank you for you compassion for our circumstance. Again, please note that I was very careful when I said a "few" airline employees were the source of our aggravation. I have had very, very good experiences with airline employees over the years. I pray that Abeku's crisis was just a fluke. I wish you the best.

[solmarc 7]

I am pretty sure mine was closed all the way- I remember because I was trying to take a glimpse inside and there was no way to see anything. What makes you so sure that they all have that?

On another note: I had my envelope in my carry-on bag and nobody even asked me for it when I checked in or went through security nor when I boarded. I only took it out at my POE and once someone saw me with it, I got taken out of the line to get processed.

I guess based on my visa they would have known about me having an envelope but yeah, It didn't even accure to me that someone would want to see it when I left my homecountry but now it seems that's common practice?!?

Oh yeah!!! they have to make sure the type of visa you have is caming with the envelope, probably, and as I see it, maybe the processed you as an European with the VWP program instead of using the K1visa... not that was bad for you, not that, just for the agent...lol... Before, the information of the pax, as passport, country of residence and all that information wasnt need it to check in, just to make sure you are legally allow to travel to the country, but now all the information of pax has to be send... I guess now, if a employee made that mistake the airline would be in some trouble...