(a) All taxable articles, goods, merchandise and commodities having a place of manufacture or origin outside the territorial sovereignty of the United States, and being brought into the Virgin Islands from any place outside the Territory, including the fifty states, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa, shall be delivered into the custody of the District Director of Customs where they shall remain until properly entered and released. The owner, master, or pilot of any importing carrier which shall fail to retain foreign cargo at the place of unlading until released under such regulations as the District Director of Customs may prescribe, shall be liable to a penalty equal to the duties and excise taxes due and payable on such cargo.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the District Director of Customs is authorized to release articles, goods, merchandise or commodities of foreign origin or manufacture without payment of excise taxes upon the giving of a bond to guarantee payment of such taxes within fifteen days after the last day of the month in which the shipment was released.
(c) The District Director of Customs shall cause all articles, goods, merchandise or commodities which remain in customs custody after the fifteenth day after the last day of the month of importation to be delivered into a storage facility to be held at the risk and expense of the importer and subject to the further order of the District Director.
(d) All articles, goods, merchandise and commodities which shall remain in Customs custody without proper entry for a period of one year shall be considered unclaimed and abandoned. Such articles shall be sold at public sale under such regulations as the District Director of Customs may prescribe. The proceeds of such sale shall be disbursed according to the following priority: all storage charges and expenses of sale, (2) all customs duties and excise taxes, (3) all freight liens and demurrage charges, (4) with the remainder to be deposited to the Treasury of the Virgin Islands; Provided, That remaining proceeds may be paid over to the importer if a claim therefor is filed with the District Director not later than thirty days from date of sale.