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CITE

    18 USC Sec. 549                                             01/05/2009

EXPCITE

    TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
    PART I - CRIMES
    CHAPTER 27 - CUSTOMS

HEAD

    Sec. 549. Removing goods from customs custody; breaking seals

STATUTE

      Whoever, without authority, affixes or attaches a customs seal,
    fastening, or mark, or any seal, fastening, or mark purporting to
    be a customs seal, fastening, or mark to any vessel, vehicle,
    warehouse, or package; or
      Whoever, without authority, willfully removes, breaks, injures,
    or defaces any customs seal or other fastening or mark placed upon
    any vessel, vehicle, warehouse, or package containing merchandise
    or baggage in bond or in customs custody; or
      Whoever maliciously enters any bonded warehouse or any vessel or
    vehicle laden with or containing bonded merchandise with intent
    unlawfully to remove therefrom any merchandise or baggage therein,
    or unlawfully removes any merchandise or baggage in such vessel,
    vehicle, or bonded warehouse or otherwise in customs custody or
    control; or
      Whoever receives or transports any merchandise or baggage
    unlawfully removed from any such vessel, vehicle, or warehouse,
    knowing the same to have been unlawfully removed -
      Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10
    years, or both.

SOURCE

    (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 717; Pub. L. 103-322, title
    XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L.
    109-177, title III, Sec. 311(e), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 242.)

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

      Based on section 1598 of title 19, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Customs
    Duties (June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, Sec. 598, 46 Stat. 752;
    June 25, 1938, ch. 679, Sec. 26, 52 Stat. 1089).
      Reference to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting was
    omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of "principal" in
    section 2 of this title.
      In view of definition of felony in section 1 of this title words
    "guilty of a felony" were omitted. (See reviser's note under
    section 550 of this title.)
      The punishment prescribed by section 545 of this title was
    inserted to make this section complete without reference to another
    section. In doing so it was necessary to rephrase the punishment
    provision of section 545 of this title, as originally enacted,
    without change of substance.
      Forfeiture provision was omitted to conform with current
    administrative practice.
      Changes were made in phraseology.
                                AMENDMENTS
      2006 - Pub. L. 109-177 substituted "10 years" for "two years" in
    last par.
      1994 - Pub. L. 103-322 substituted "fined under this title" for
    "fined not more than $5,000" in last par.