Romanian security services systematically confiscated parcels sent by Romanians abroad, then sold the contents through state‑run consignment stores, according to documents released by the National Council for the Study of the Security Archives (CNSAS). The archives show that letters and packages, which were supposed to reach relatives in Romania, were intercepted; ordinary items such as clothing, cosmetics, toys, stationery and food were inventoried and valued in Romanian lei. Prices ranged from a few lei for a pencil to several hundred lei for a toy, with the highest valuation recorded at 500 lei for a plastic toy. The confiscated goods were then sold in consignment shops, a semi‑free market outlet that acted as the “mall” of communist Romania. The state collected a 13 % commission on sales, while the rest of the proceeds went back to the person who had supplied the goods. In the final years of the regime, especially when Nicolae Ceaușescu’s government urgently needed foreign currency to pay external debt, the Securitate intensified the exploitation of diaspora parcels as a source of revenue. The CNSAS compared the practice to modern online deliveries, warning that a “delivery person” could open packages, keep or sell the items, and leave the customer without explanation or recourse. This abuse of power and exploitation of ordinary citizens’ mail highlights the repressive nature of the communist security apparatus.

Original article can be found here.