To Sell Things Seized from the Prisoners

Q: I am a government employee. The nature of my work is that I receive the things and items seized from the prisoners after being illegally smuggled inside the prison. These things are handed over to me and then I report item’s details to the Finance Ministry which exhibits these items to be sold at auction. According to shar‘, is my job problematic? It is notable that I am the only person who receives the items and cannot change my job to another place.

A: If the items seized from the prisoners or their visitors in the prison have monetary value, they would not stop to be the owners’ by mere introducing them to the prison. Thus, using, selling or buying them without their owner’s consent is not permissible; rather, using them is ruled as usurpation and dealing in (buying and selling) them is ruled as fuduli transaction which is not valid unless they approve it. Disassemble