Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 98 Part 3.djvu/614

 98 STAT. 2986

Infra.

19 USC 1613b.

19 USC 1524. 19 USC 1613.

19 USC 1619.

Ante, p. 2985.

31 USC 5301 et seq.

PUBLIC LAW 98-573—OCT. 30, 1984

(D) by adding at the end the following new subsection: "(b) If the expense of keeping the vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage is disproportionate to the value thereof, and such value is less than $1,000, such officer may proceed forthwith to order destruction or other appropriate disposition of such property, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury.. (10) Section 613 (19 U.S.C. 1613) is amended— (A) by inserting "aircraft," after "vehicle," in the sentence beginning "Except as" in subsection (a); (B) by striking out "with the Treasurer of the United States as a customs or navigation fine" and inserting in lieu thereof "in the general fund of the Treasury of the United States" in paragraph (3) of the sentence beginning "If no" in subsection (a); and (C) by amending subsection (b) by inserting after "and (2) of this section" the following: "or subsection (a)(1), (a)(3), or (a)(4) of section 613A of this Act". (11) Part V of title IV (19 U.S.C. 1581 et seq.) is amended by adding after section 613 the following new section: "SEC. 613A. CUSTOMS FORFEITURE FUND.

"(a) There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the Customs Forfeiture Fund (hereinafter in this section referred to as the 'fund'), which shall be available to the United States Customs Service, subject to appropriation, during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this section and ending on September 30, 1987. The fund shall be available with respect to seizures and forfeitures by the United States Customs Service under any law enforced or administered by it for payment (to the extent that such payment is not reimbursed under section 524 of this Act)— "(1) of all proper expenses of the seizure or the proceedings of forfeiture and sale (not otherwise recovered under section 613(a)), including, but not limited to, expenses of inventory, security, maintaining the custody of the property, advertising and sale, and if condemned by the court and a bond for such costs was not given, the costs as taxed by the court; "(2) of awards of compensation to informers under section 619 of this Act; "(3) for satisfaction of— "(A) liens for freight, charges, and contributions in general average, notice of which has been filed with the appropriate customs officer according to law; and "(B) other liens against forfeited property; "(4) of amounts authorized by law with respect to remission and mitigation; "(5) for equipping for law enforcement functions of forfeited vessels, vehicles, and aircraft retained as provided by law for official use by the United States Customs Service; and "(6) of claims of parties in interest to property disposed of under section 612(b) of this Act, in the amounts applicable to such claims at the time of seizure. In addition to the purposes described in paragraphs (1) through (6), the fund shall be available for purchases by the United States Customs Service of evidence of (A) smuggling of controlled substances, and (B) violations of the currency and foreign transaction reporting requirements of chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code,

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