Jurisdiction. (a) The jurisdiction of the Customs Service shall include all official customs points of entry into the Commonwealth and points of exit out of the Commonwealth as follows, as well as any future official customs ports of entry that may be established from time to time: Island Saipan
Official Customs Point of Entry/Exit Tanapag Harbor (Charlie Dock), Sugar Dock, Smiling Cove, Garapan Fishing Complex, Baker Dock, and Isley Field (Saipan International Airport) Rota Rota Harbor (West Dock) and Rota International Airport Tinian Tinian Harbor and West Tinian Airport (1) The United States Post Offices in the Commonwealth are the official points of entry for packages and other mail matter entering the Commonwealth through the United States Postal Service (USPS). The Customs Service shall have the authority to inspect packages and other mail matter reasonably suspected of containing taxable goods or contraband at the Post Offices after they are released from the custody of the USPS. The ability of Customs Service to carry out inspection on USPS premises shall be subject to authorization from the USPS. (b) When the Customs Service discovers or has probable cause to believe that contraband described in 6 CMC § 2301(a) has entered the Commonwealth, the jurisdiction of the Customs Service shall extend inside the Commonwealth to the destination(s) where the person importing the contraband travels to deliver, consume, and/or distribute the contraband; provided, however, that the duration of such jurisdiction outside the points of entry shall be limited to 72 hours after the arrival into the Commonwealth of the suspected contraband; and further provided that the person carrying the suspected contraband or the vehicle or container in which the suspected contraband is contained is subjected to constant surveillance by the Customs Service from the point of entry. (c) The jurisdiction of the Customs Service shall also extend to all points of entry and exit within and between the islands of the Commonwealth and within 200 miles of the shoreline of any island of the Commonwealth. (d) The Division of Customs shall extend K-9 unit screenings for the purpose of detecting illegal drugs and other contraband at all seaports and airports within the Commonwealth including all inter-island outgoing and incoming commuter flights as well as incoming and outgoing water crafts. Source: PL 6-38, § 2 (§ 2304); amended by PL 7-42, § 8, modified; PL 7-46 § 1, modified; subsection (a)(1) amended by PL 18-33 § 2 (Jan. 23, 2014); (d) enacted by PL 19-86 § 2 (Feb. 6, 2017), modified.
Commission Comment: With respect to PL 7-42, see the comment to 6 CMC § 2141. PL 18-33 (Jan. 23, 2014) contained, in addition to savings and severability clauses, the following Finding and Purpose section: Section 1. Findings and Purpose. The Legislature finds that taxable goods and prohibited contraband are making their way into the Commonwealth via United States mail. These items are evading inspection by the Customs Division because Customs officers have limited authority to inspect mail when it arrives at the airport. When a package or letter is delivered to the U.S. Postal Service it remains under the custody of the United States Postal Service until it is delivered to the rightful addressee. As such, for Customs purposes, a package or letter entering the Commonwealth through the United States Postal Service does not officially enter the Commonwealth until it is out of United States Postal Service custody. To address this issue, the Legislature finds that the United States Post Office should be designated as an official entry point for United States mail matter. In codifying PL 19-86, the Commission changed “contrabands” to “contraband” pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(g).