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ArchiveJuly 2, 2026Sleuth
Case File · Audit · No. 007

Daily Casefile · Audit

The Overstated Cargo

6 min

Maison Vasseur & Fils has filed a customs declaration for a consignment of goods imported aboard the steam freighter SS Céleste, arriving at the Port of Marseille on 14 March 1923. The declaration lists six categories of cargo, each with stated quantities and declared values, on which import duties are assessed. The Bureau des Douanes has received a tip that the declared cargo does not match the ship's own manifest, and has commissioned an audit to identify any discrepancy before releasing the goods.

The scene

Port of Marseille, France, 1923

Source documents

  • SS Céleste Cargo Manifest, Voyage 14, March 1923
  • Supplier Invoice No. 1923-0047, Maison Al-Rashid, Alexandria
  • Port of Marseille Harbour Register, 14 March 1923
  • Tarif des Douanes Françaises, Schedule III, 1922 Edition

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