Customs Act 1901

This section applies if an authorised person suspects on reasonable grounds that:

goods are:

at, or in a container at, a place that is near a ship or aircraft to which paragraph 203CA(1)(c) or (2)(d) applies; or

in, on, or in a container on, a conveyance at such a place; or

in a container in the immediate physical possession of, but not carried on the body of, a person at such a place; and

the goods:

in the case of an arriving ship or aircraft—have been unloaded from that ship or aircraft; or

in the case of a leaving ship or aircraft—will be loaded onto that ship or aircraft; and

the goods are special forfeited goods (other than narcotic goods).

The authorised person may, without warrant:

search the place or any container at the place for special forfeited goods (other than narcotic goods); or

stop and detain the conveyance about to leave the place, and search it and any container on it for such goods; or

search the container in the immediate physical possession of the person for such goods;

For seizure of narcotic goods without warrant, see section 203C of this Act and subparagraph 67(1)(b)(ii) of the Maritime Powers Act 2013.

If, in the course of searching under subsection (2) for special forfeited goods, an authorised person finds a thing that he or she believes on reasonable grounds is evidential material relating to an offence committed in respect of those goods, the authorised person may, without warrant, seize that thing whether or not the authorised person has found those goods.

For the purposes of a search conducted under subsection (2), the authorised person may question any person apparently in charge of the place, conveyance or container about any goods or thing at the place, in or on the conveyance, or in the container.

The authorised person must exercise his or her powers subject to section 203D.