Sorry, my post was a bit sparse on detail. I keep a TC volume (file) on three separate public file shares. My laptop is clean. I download and install TruCrypt, and download the TC volume once I'm through customs. When I say clean, I mean that there's no trace of anything on any of my devices while I cross a border. That means there's no TrueCrypt, and no TrueCrypt volume on my laptop at all. Why should there be? We have the Internet.

Of course, after they have your personal details, they'll now do an Internet search and find this post. You just gave them your game plan ;)

Indeed I did. But how would anyone prove that this scenario isn't just hypothetical?

well done sr

You can use a TrueCrypt hidden volume for that. Fill up a normal volume with some plausible data and use the hidden volume for your actual files.

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/hidden-volume

If they were actually on you, they would find the hidden volume too.