Records; possession and transportation of unstamped cigarettes; seizure and confiscation of vessel or vehicles

609. Records; possession and transportation of unstamped cigarettes; seizure and confiscation of vessel or vehicles. Every person who shall transport cigarettes not stamped as required by this act or stamped in violation of subsection b. of section 405 of P.L.1948, c.65 (C.54:40A-15) upon the public highways, waterways, roads or streets of this State shall have in his actual possession invoices or delivery tickets for such cigarettes which shall show the true name and complete and exact address of the consignor or seller, the true name and complete and exact address of the consignee or purchaser, the quantity and brands of the cigarettes transported and in addition shall show separately the true name and complete and exact address of the person who has or shall assume the payment of the New Jersey State tax or the tax, if any, of the State or foreign country at the point of ultimate destination, provided that any common carrier which has issued a bill of lading for a shipment of cigarettes and is without notice to itself or to any of its agents or employees that said cigarettes are not stamped as required by this act shall be deemed to have complied with this act and the vehicle or vessel in which said cigarettes are being transported shall not be subject to confiscation hereunder. In the absence of such invoices, delivery tickets or bills of lading, as the case may be, the cigarettes so transported, the vehicle, or vessel in which the cigarettes are being transported and any paraphernalia or devices used in connection with the unstamped cigarettes or cigarettes stamped in violation of subsection b. of section 405 of P.L.1948, c.65 (C.54:40A-15), are declared to be contraband goods and may be seized by the director, his agents or employees or by any peace officer of the State when directed by the director, his agents or employees so to do, without a warrant. The director shall immediately thereafter institute a proceeding for the confiscation thereof in the Superior Court or the municipal court within the jurisdiction of which the seizure is made. The owner or any person having a security interest in any such vehicle may secure release of the same by depositing with the clerk of the court, in which such proceeding is pending, a bond with good and sufficient sureties in an amount to be fixed by the court, conditioned upon the return of said vehicle to the director upon demand after completion of said proceeding. The court may proceed in a summary manner and may direct confiscation to the director; provided, however, anything to the contrary notwithstanding, that the owner or any person claiming to be the holder of a mortgage, conditional sales contract or other security interest in any vehicle or vessel, the disposition of which is provided for above, may present his petition so alleging and be heard, and in the event it appears to the court that the property was unlawfully used by a person other than the owner or such claimant, and if such owner or claimant acquired ownership or his security interest in good faith and without knowledge that the vehicle or vessel was going to be so used, the court shall either waive forfeiture in favor of such owner or claimant and order the vehicle or vessel returned or delivered to such owner or claimant, or if it is found that the value thereof exceeds the amount of the claim, the court shall order payment of the amount of the claim out of the proceeds of the sale. Every transporter who violates the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree, and shall, in addition to such penalties as may be imposed therefor, be liable to a penalty equal to double the amount of tax due on any unstamped cigarettes transported by him, which penalty shall be sued for and recovered in the same manner as provided for the penalties imposed by section 601 of the act to which this act is amendatory (C.54:40A-24).

L.1948, c.65, s.609; amended 1951, c.281, s.6; 1952, c.246, s.9; 1954, c.225, s.4; 1957, c.214, s.2; 1966, c.176; 1966, c.312; 1968, c.351, s.8; 1981, c.361, s.1; 1991, c.91, s.516;1999, c.328, s.9; 2013, c.145, s.11.