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Comment by fuoqi | Hacker News Reader

Just replace "money" with a gold bricks. If I have them in the trunk of my car and move it around, you can't arrest my car on the assumption that the bricks are "the proceeds of a crime". You have to reasonably prove it with all the red tape involved, or GTFO of my way.

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Civil asset forfeiture- a law enforcement officer in many jurisdictions in the US can seize the gold bar without charging you with anything, under the assumption that it is proceeds for a crime, and in an insane twist, they get to keep part or most of the value of the seized property when it is sold at auction. It’s insane.

Everyone else telling you about civil forfeiture; I'm going to mention the original James Bond novel Goldfinger, in which part of the early plot is exactly Auric Goldfinger hiding gold in the panels of his Rolls-Royce in order to smuggle it out of the UK, which was illegal at the time. Even for gold legitimately owned.

(historical background: https://www.chards.co.uk/guides/exchange-control-act/785 )

Actually, yes they can. No warrant, no charges, nothing. It’s basically up to the discretion of the officer present.

The “crime” is alleged to the objects in question, and since they aren’t people they don’t have rights.

Civil Asset Forfeiture. It’s clearly unconstitutional, but it’s too profitable to stop.

My understanding was the police were able to do this in the US using civil forfeiture.

in some other country - maybe. in america - nope :)

lol look up Civil Asset Forfeiture.

lol, you absolutely can.

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