                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                      CHAPTER 4--TARIFF ACT OF 1930
 
                 SUBTITLE III--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
 
                     Part V--Enforcement Provisions
 
Sec. 1605. Seizure; custody; storage

    All vessels, vehicles, aircraft, merchandise, and baggage seized 
under the provisions of the customs laws, or laws relating to the 
navigation, registering, enrolling or licensing, or entry or clearance, 
of vessels, unless otherwise provided by law, shall be placed and remain 
in the custody of the appropriate customs officer for the district in 
which the seizure was made to await disposition according to law.
    Pending such disposition, the property shall be stored in such place 
as, in the customs officer's opinion, is most convenient and appropriate 
with due regard to the expense involved, whether or not the place of 
storage is within the judicial district or the customs collection 
district in which the property was seized; and storage of the property 
outside the judicial district or customs collection district in which it 
was seized shall in no way affect the jurisdiction of the court which 
would otherwise have jurisdiction over such property.

(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, Sec. 605, 46 Stat. 754; Sept. 1, 
1954, ch. 1213, title V, Sec. 505, 68 Stat. 1141; Pub. L. 91-271, title 
III, Sec. 301(cc), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 291; Pub. L. 98-473, title II, 
Sec. 321, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2056; Pub. L. 98-573, title II, 
Sec. 213(a)(2), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2984.)

                       References in Text

    The customs laws, referred to in text, are classified generally to 
this title.


                            Prior Provisions

    Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act 
Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, Sec. 605, 42 Stat. 985. That section 
was superseded by section 605 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this 
section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.
    Provisions substantially similar to those in this section so far as 
it relates to merchandise or property seized under the customs laws, 
were contained in R.S. Sec. 3086, prior to repeal by act Sept. 21, 1922, 
ch. 356, title IV, Sec. 642, 42 Stat. 989.


                               Amendments

    1984--Pub. L. 98-573 and Pub. L. 98-473 inserted reference to 
aircraft in first par.
    1970--Pub. L. 91-271 substituted references to appropriate customs 
officer or customs officer for references to collector wherever 
appearing.
    1954--Act Sept. 1, 1954, permitted collector of seized property to 
store it in such places as he considers convenient or appropriate, 
whether within or without the judicial district in which it was seized, 
without affecting the jurisdiction of the court over such property.


                    Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 98-573 effective Oct. 15, 1984, see section 
214(e) of Pub. L. 98-573, set out as a note under section 1304 of this 
title.


                    Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

    For effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 91-271, see section 203 
of Pub. L. 91-271, set out as a note under section 1500 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 1600, 1613 of this title.
