Oh, how much I have enjoyed reading this thread! (I am now retired.)
This sort of thing is not new. I landed an RAF C130 at SYD in 1968 for a few day's stopover. Not long after we had arrived at the hotel I had a call from the Customs at SYD asking me to return to the airport to open our aircraft survival kits so they might inspect them as they believed they contained flick knives..................
Needless to say, after I explained that these were sealed items and opening them would render the aircraft unserviceable, sensibility ruled and I enjoyed my three day's off in Sydney without further interruption.
On the other hand, these people, whatever role they are in, are only carrying out their instructions and if by exercising some discretion, their actions or non actions come back to haunt them, we all know that they will be taken to task by their superiors, whose only interest is in saving their own arse!