Republic Postal Service

The Galactic Republic Postal Service was a private agency within the Galactic Republic that transported mail and supplies to their destination. Workers for local offices who worked as drivers or walked to the recipient were known as "mailmen", while workers aboard Postal Fleet starships and aircraft were known as "expediters".

Numerous other governments also had postal services with similar or identical functions.

Operation
The Postal Service's duty was to transport a product to a recipient, usually a civilian ordering from a private corporation, either between two worlds or two points on a single world. The Postal Fleet, comprised entirely of unarmed ships (though usually escorted by armed mercenary cruisers or the Judicial Fleet), transported goods between multiple star systems. The goods would then be transported to a local post office, where the goods would either be picked up by the recipient or transported to their residence via hired drivers. Postal ships were a common target for pirates, as the value of their cargo was usually in the millions of credits.

During times of war, the Postal Service (and other transportation agencies) could be used to transport munitions and supplies during shortages in designated supply ships.

History
The Republic offered mailing and transportation services to its citizens since its conception in 25053 BBY. With increasing developments in ground, air, and space travel, the Postal Service became a more stable and reliable aspect of everyday life on even the least developed Republic worlds.

Any and all legal goods could be sent through the Republic's mail system via the Postal Service or other private expediters, though as of the Postal Contraband Act of c. 300 BBY, illegal merchandise such as weapons and narcotics were to be seized and reported to authorities, and not sent through the mail system. Despite this, numerous black markets managed to disguise illegal contraband, leading to a thriving market of weapons and drugs hiding in plain sight. The Postal Police Bureau was formed in 51 BBY to provide security to ships and local offices from bandits, and to conduct their own investigations on illegal contraband. Prior to their formation, this role was among many roles served by the Bureau of Contraband Enforcement and Investigations (later known as the Drug Enforcement Agency).