Opinion ID: 500657
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Does Sec. 955 apply only to importation on common carriers? (Count 7)

Text: 19 Appellant contends that 21 U.S.C. Sec. 955 applies only to common carriers, and that his conviction on count 7 therefore should be reversed, since the airplane used in the December 8, 1981, conveyance of marihuana was a private craft. This contention is frivolous. The statutory language plainly is not limited to possession or transportation on commercial or common carriers. On the contrary, it reads: It shall be unlawful for any person to bring or possess on board any vessel or aircraft, or on board any vehicle of a carrier ... (emphasis added). Section 955 has previously been utilized in the prosecution of persons who imported controlled substances into the United States via private aircraft. United States v. Tussell, 441 F.Supp. 1092 (M.D.Pa.1977). It is applicable here. 20