I'm talking about a situation where you have already decided that you will not give up your password, and will basically tell the customs officer to go pound sand. So, raising suspicion is not the issue. The question is whether legally they can seize a laptop which has no data in it. (I'm also not talking about hiding the drive either, but keeping them separate to emphasize that they are two separate things.)
Originally Posted by
studentff
Furthermore, I would fear that separating the drive from the laptop might make customs more suspicious than the more normal arrangement. Such suspicion might lead them to confiscate other items in addition to the laptop: cell phones, cameras, mp3 players, etc.