((a)) ** In general** Whenever—

((1)) any vessel, vehicle, or aircraft; or

((2)) the owner or operator, or the master, pilot, conductor, driver, or other person in charge of a vessel, vehicle, or aircraft;

((b)) ** Exceptions**

((1)) No conveyance used by any person as a common carrier in the transaction of business as a common carrier is subject to seizure and forfeiture under the customs laws for violations relating to merchandise contained—

((A)) on the person;

((B)) in baggage belonging to and accompanying a passenger being lawfully transported on such conveyance; or

((C)) in the cargo of the conveyance if the cargo is listed on the manifest and marks, numbers, weights and quantities of the outer packages or containers agree with the manifest;

((2)) Except as provided in paragraph (1) or subsection (c), no vessel, vehicle, or aircraft is subject to forfeiture to the extent of an interest of an owner for a drug-related offense established by that owner to have been committed or omitted without the knowledge, consent, or willful blindness of the owner.

((c)) ** Prohibited merchandise on conveyance** If any merchandise the importation of which is prohibited is found to be, or to have been—

((1)) on board a conveyance used as a common carrier in the transaction of business as a common carrier in one or more packages or containers—

((A)) that are not manifested (or not shown on bills of lading or airway bills); or

((B)) whose marks, numbers, weight or quantities disagree with the manifest (or with the bills of lading or airway bills); or

((2)) concealed in or on such a conveyance, but not in the cargo;

((d)) ** Definitions** For purposes of this section—

((1)) The term “owner or operator” includes—

((A)) a lessee or person operating a conveyance under a rental agreement or charter party; and

((B)) the officers and directors of a corporation;

((C)) station managers and similar supervisory ground personnel employed by airlines;

((D)) one or more partners of a partnership;

((E)) representatives of the owner or operator in charge of the passenger or cargo operations at a particular location; and

((F)) and other persons with similar responsibilities.

((2)) The term “master” and similar terms relating to the person in charge of a conveyance includes the purser or other person on the conveyance who is responsible for maintaining records relating to the cargo transported in the conveyance.

((e)) ** Costs and expenses of seizure** When a common carrier has been seized in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) and it is subsequently determined that a violation of such subsection occurred but that the vessel will be released, the conveyance is liable for the costs and expenses of the seizure and detention.