I was called for an interview for my Top Secret Clearance Investigation.
Among the questions asked were some that dealt with prior criminal behavior.
As I knew I had a squeaky clean record (with the exception of a rather lengthy list of traffic violations and Drivers License Suspensions as a Teen Ager), I was surprised at the interest that was shown when I asked for clarification of what "criminal violations" were defined as being.
The Investigator's interest was piqued when I opined I had been rumbled for smuggling in conjunction with an immigration/customs violation for two countries in Europe.
The short version was while working for Agusta on the Libyan Air Force Chinook Contract, I and and a Tech Rep got done for smuggling my Flight Engineer out of Switzerland and almost into Italy at the Crossing nearest Lugano (the small one and not the one on the Autostrada).
We were paid in US dollars in cash in Lugano....and converted a months worth into Italian Lira there as the exchange rate was much more advantageous than in Italy. That required us to "smuggle" the Lira into Italy.
On this occasion, my FE had managed to lose his Passport in a location he wished not to discuss and we using our best thinking hit the barrier and when stopped fanned out an array of Passports and what might have looked like a Passport in a casual glance.
The Swiss Guard waved us through.....the Italians not.
A quick check of Passports readily determined we had one Body too many.
We got turned around and told to cross the bridge back to Switzerland....which we did almost.
We got stopped by the Swiss who of course wanted to see.............our Passports.
They refused us entry.
When asked where they thought we should go....being as how we were on the Swiss end of a bridge which other end was in Italy and we had just been turned around there.....they got a bit puzzled.
Being dead in the middle of Winter....we with our leather flying jackets....with sleeves stuffed full of bundles of Italian Lira.....when ordered to the Guard Shack which had the heat turned up to about 135 Degress F.....we began to sweat two ways.
They kept saying....take your coats off.....we kept insisting we needed to be on our way.....and in time they decided being rid of us was the easy way out.
As they gave us the good news to leg it to somewhere else....they suggested waiting till rush hour and take a chance on the Autostrada Crossing Point.
We did....as suggested might happen...we got waved through by both the Swiss and the Italians.
My guy decided it was not American Laws that got broke thus I was good to go.