HM customs practice
UK Customs operate a similar policy with regards to ships suspected of being used for illegal drug imports. As a shipbroker of 40 years standing, I know of several small ships that were ripped apart in the process of finding drugs. The smugglers are so ingenious in finding places to hide the drugs: eg welding them up in hollow inaccessible spaces of all kinds, that if the customs search respected the historical or aesthetic aspects of an aircraft or ship they would not be doing their job,however sad the outcome. Usually afterwards a ship is sold for scrap, as it cannot be put back together economically but one I know was used by customs as a static example to train operatives for future searches.
If the search finds nothing, in theory the customs have to pay to put it back together, but usually its not practicaltl possible and they just pay SOME compensation (eventually) .