From the Anchorage Daily News: the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service intercepted a shipment of ten new PRS guitars intended for Hong Kong, but found to be without permits. They were donated to the Anchorage School District. See the article for photos and more details:
“Fish and Wildlife intercepted the instruments in Anchorage in July 2018, said Chris Andrews, supervisory inspector with the federal agency. The guitars, commercially shipped from the East Coast and bound for Hong Kong, were declared as clothing. When wildlife inspectors opened the cases, they found the instruments without required permits, he said.
The guitars feature Brazilian rosewood — protected by an international treaty — and can’t be exported without permits, Andrews said.
Andrews said it’s rare for inspectors to intercept illegally transported Brazilian rosewood products in Anchorage, Alaska’s air cargo hub. More often, they’re catching products made from crocodile skin such as handbags or watchbands that don’t have the proper permits, he said.
Each triggers a specific process. With the 10 guitars, Fish and Wildlife started a civil forfeiture proceeding, and the instruments were eventually given up. Andrews said a guitar dealer shipped the instruments, not the manufacturer. He declined to name the dealer.”