The Syria (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2020

55.  In Part 9 (Enforcement), at the beginning insert—

“Suspected ships, aircraft or vehicles

78A.— (1) Where an authorised officer has reasonable cause to suspect that a ship, aircraft or vehicle has been, or is being, or is about to be, used in the commission of an offence under Part 5 (Trade) or regulation 66(2) (trade: licensing offences), the authorised officer may—

(a) in relation to an aircraft or vehicle, require the relevant person to keep the aircraft or vehicle and any goods it is carrying in the Territory, until the authorised officer notifies the relevant person that the aircraft or vehicle (as the case may be) may depart, or

(b) in relation to a ship, require the relevant person—

(i) not to cause or permit the ship to proceed with the voyage on which it is engaged or about to engage, until the authorised officer notifies the relevant person that the ship may proceed;

(ii) not to land any part of the ship’s cargo at any port specified by the authorised officer, except with the authorised officer’s prior consent;

(iii) if the ship is in port in the Territory, to cause the ship to remain there until the authorised officer notifies the relevant person that the ship may depart;

(iv) if the ship is in any other place, to cause it to proceed to a port specified by the authorised officer and keep it there, until the authorised officer notifies the relevant person that the ship may depart.

(2) Where the authorised officer considers it necessary in order to secure compliance with a requirement made under paragraph (1), the authorised officer may detain the ship, aircraft or vehicle and any goods it is carrying.

(3) Where an authorised officer detains a ship, aircraft or vehicle and any goods it is carrying in accordance with paragraph (2), the authorised officer must deliver to the master of the ship, the aircraft operator or the owner of the vehicle (as the case may be) a detention direction.

(4) A detention direction under paragraph (3) must—

(a) be in writing,

(b) state the grounds on which the ship, aircraft or vehicle is detained, and

(c) state that—

(i) the power to detain is exercised under this regulation, and

(ii) any requirements subject to which the detention is carried out must be complied with.

(5) Paragraph (6) applies, in relation to a ship or aircraft, if—

(a) the ship or aircraft (as the case may be) is not a Territory ship or Territory aircraft, and

(b) there is in the Territory a consular officer for the country to which the ship or aircraft belongs.

(6) A copy of the detention direction must be sent as soon as practicable to the nearest consular officer for the country to which the ship or aircraft belongs.

(7) An authorised officer may use reasonable force, if necessary, in the exercise of any power conferred by this regulation.

(8) An authorised officer must, if requested to do so, produce evidence of their authority before exercising any power conferred by this regulation.

(9) Nothing in this regulation affects any other provision of law conferring powers, imposing restrictions or enabling restrictions to be imposed in respect of ships, aircraft or vehicles.

(10) In this regulation—

“consular officer”, in relation to a foreign country, means the officer recognised by Her Majesty as a consular officer of that foreign country in the Territory;

“the relevant person” means any of the following—

(a)

in relation to a ship, the owner, master or charterer of the ship;

(b)

in relation to an aircraft, the owner, charterer, operator or commander of the aircraft;

(c)

in relation to a vehicle, the owner, driver or operator of the vehicle.

Search warrants

78B.— (1) A magistrate or justice of the peace may issue a search warrant if satisfied by information on oath that—

(a) there is reasonable cause to suspect that a relevant offence under these Regulations has been, or is being, or is about to be, committed, and

(b) evidence in relation to the offence is to be found on a ship, aircraft, vehicle or premises specified in the information.

(2) A search warrant issued under this regulation is a warrant empowering an authorised officer to enter and search the ship, aircraft, vehicle or premises specified in the information, at any time within one month from the date of the warrant.

(3) The powers conferred on an authorised officer by a search warrant under this regulation include powers to—

(a) in the case of a power to enter a ship, aircraft or vehicle, stop that ship, aircraft or vehicle;

(b) enter any land, where such entry appears to the authorised officer to be necessary in order to enter the ship, aircraft, vehicle or premises specified in the information;

(c) take such other persons and such equipment on to the ship, aircraft, vehicle or premises as appear to the authorised officer to be necessary;

(d) inspect and seize any thing found in the course of a search if the authorised officer has reasonable cause to suspect that—

(i) it is evidence in relation to a relevant offence under these Regulations, or

(ii) it is necessary to seize it in order to prevent it being concealed, lost, damaged, altered or destroyed;

(e) take copies of any document.

(4) An authorised officer who enters a ship, aircraft, vehicle or premises under a search warrant issued under this regulation may—

(a) search any person found on the ship, aircraft, vehicle or premises whom the officer has reasonable cause to suspect to be in possession of any thing which may be required as evidence for the purposes of proceedings in respect of a relevant offence under these Regulations, and

(b) seize any such thing found in such a search.

(5) Any thing seized under paragraphs (3)(d) or (4)(b)—

(a) may be retained for so long as is necessary in all the circumstances, and

(b) where that thing is prohibited goods and is not authorised by a trade licence, may be forfeited, disposed of or transferred as appropriate.

(6) A search of a person under paragraph (4)(a) must be carried out by a person of the same sex.

(7) An authorised officer may use reasonable force, if necessary, in the exercise of any power conferred by this regulation.

(8) An authorised officer must, if requested to do so, produce evidence of their authority before exercising any power conferred by this regulation.

(9) Nothing in this regulation affects any other provision of law conferring powers, imposing restrictions or enabling restrictions to be imposed in respect of ships, aircraft or vehicles.

(10) For the purposes of this regulation—

“information on oath” includes any other form of application for a search warrant applicable in the Territory;

“justice of the peace” includes other competent judicial authorities within the Territory responsible for issuing search warrants;

“prohibited goods” means goods which have been or are being dealt with in contravention of any prohibition in Chapters 2 to 4 of Part 5 (Trade);

“relevant offence” means an offence which is punishable with a term of imprisonment of more than 6 months.”