All merchandise and baggage imported or brought in from any contiguous country, except as otherwise provided by law or by regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall be unladen in the presence of and be inspected by a customs officer at the first port of entry at which the same shall arrive; and such officer may require the owner, or his agent, or other person having charge or possession of any trunk, traveling bag, sack, valise, or other container, or of any closed vehicle, to open the same for inspection, or to furnish a key or other means for opening the same.
June 17, 1930, ch. 49746 Stat. 717(, title IV, § 461, .)
Editorial Notes
Codification
section 1459 of this titlesection 1459 of this titlePub. L. 99–570As enacted by act , the catchline for this section was “Same—inspection”, as this section was intended to be read as a continuation of the provisions introduced in . When first enacted, related to arrival in the United States from a contiguous country but has since been amended by to relate to arrival more generally.
Prior Provisions
act Feb. 18, 1875, ch. 80, § 118 Stat. 319act Feb. 27, 1877, ch. 69, § 119 Stat. 248act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 46142 Stat. 956Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in R.S. § 3100, as amended by , , and , , which was superseded by , , and was repealed by section 642 thereof. Section 461 of the 1922 act was superseded by section 461 of act , comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.