Customs and Excise Management Act 1979

163 Power to search vehicles or vessels. U.K.

(1) Without prejudice to any other power conferred by the Customs and Excise Acts 1979, where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that any vehicle or vessel is or may be carrying any goods which are—

(a) chargeable with any duty which has not been paid or secured; or

(b) in the course of being unlawfully removed from or to any place; or

(c) otherwise liable to forfeiture under the customs and excise Acts,

any officer or constable or member of Her Majesty’s armed forces or coastguard may stop and search that vehicle or vessel.

(2) If when so required by any such officer, constable or member the person in charge of any such vehicle or vessel refuses to stop or to permit the vehicle or vessel to be searched, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of [F1 level 3 on the standard scale].

[F2 (3) This section shall apply in relation to aircraft as it applies in relation to vehicles or vessels but the power to stop and search in subsection (1) above shall not be available in respect of aircraft which are airborne.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), ss. 289F, 289G (as inserted by Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 54) and (N.I.) by S.I. 1984/703, (N.I. 3) arts. 5, 6

F2 S. 163(3) inserted (16.7.1992) by Finance (No. 2) Act 1992 (c. 48), s. 10(4).

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 163 amended by S.I. 1988/1852 (N.I. 19), art. 4(2)

C2 S. 163 extended (E.W.S.) by Scotch Whisky Act 1988 (c. 22, SIF 109:1), s. 1(4)