Originally Posted by davidcalgary29

They do not interfere with the structural integrity of aircraft, as they're customs officials, not mechanics. All items removed (e.g. interior panelling; carpets; seats) are either cosmetic features or fairly mobile, so it's more of a hassle (and a time-consuming one at that) than anything else. My apologies, though -- I didn't mean to imply that the cabin was gutted, with avionics hanging out and all over the place, or anything like that.