Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

[F1 127C Power to seize property S

(1) On being satisfied as mentioned in section 127B(1) an appropriate officer may seize any realisable property if the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that—

(a) the property may otherwise be made unavailable for satisfying any confiscation order that has been or may be made against the accused, or

(b) the value of the property may otherwise be diminished as a result of conduct by the accused or any other person.

(2) But the officer may not [F2 under subsection (1)] seize—

(a) cash, or

(b) exempt property.

(3) “Cash” has the same meaning as in section 289.

(4) “Exempt property” means—

(a) such tools, books, vehicles and other items of equipment as are necessary to the accused for use personally in the accused's employment, business or vocation;

(b) such clothing, bedding, furniture, household equipment, provisions or other things as are necessary for satisfying the basic domestic needs of the accused and the accused's family.

(5) In relation to realisable property which is free property held by the recipient of a tainted gift, references in subsection (4) to the accused are to be read as references to the recipient of that gift.

Section 127B(11) is subject to this subsection.

[F3 (5A) On being satisfied as mentioned in section 127B(1) an appropriate officer may seize any free property if the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that it is a cryptoasset-related item.

(5B) A “cryptoasset-related item” is an item of property that is, or that contains or gives access to information that is, likely to assist in the seizure under subsection (1) of any cryptoasset.

(5C) The circumstances in which a cryptoasset is “seized” for the purposes of subsection (1) include circumstances in which it is transferred into a crypto wallet controlled by the appropriate officer.

(5D) If an appropriate officer is lawfully on any premises, the officer may, for the purpose of—

(a) determining whether any property is a cryptoasset-related item, or

(b) enabling or facilitating the seizure under subsection (1) of any cryptoasset,

require any information which is stored in any electronic form and accessible from the premises to be produced in a form in which it can be taken away and in which it is visible and legible, or from which it can readily be produced in a visible and legible form.

(5E) But subsection (5D) does not authorise an appropriate officer to require a person to produce any items subject to legal privilege (as defined in section 412).

(5F) Where an appropriate officer has seized a cryptoasset-related item under subsection (5A), they may use any information obtained from it for the purpose of—

(a) identifying or gaining access to a crypto wallet, and

(b) by doing so, enabling or facilitating the seizure under subsection (1) of any cryptoassets.]

(6) The power conferred by this section—

(a) may be exercised only with the appropriate approval under section 127G unless, in the circumstances, it is not practicable to obtain that approval before exercising the power, and

[F4 (aa) where applicable, in accordance with subsection (6A) or (6B).]

[F5 (6A) The power conferred by this section is exercisable] by an officer of Revenue and Customs only if the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that conduct constituting the relevant offence relates to an assigned matter (within the meaning of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979).

[F6 (6B) The power conferred by this section is exercisable by an immigration officer only if the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that conduct constituting the relevant offence—

(a) relates to the entitlement of one or more persons who are not nationals of the United Kingdom to enter, transit across, or be in, the United Kingdom (including conduct which relates to conditions or other controls on any such entitlement), or

(b) is undertaken for the purposes of, or otherwise in relation to, a relevant nationality enactment.]

(7) “Relevant offence” means—

(a) in a case where the officer is satisfied that the first, second, third or fourth condition in section 127B is met, the offence mentioned in that condition,

(b) in a case where the officer is satisfied that any of the other conditions in section 127B is met, the offence (or any of the offences) concerned.

[F7 (8) Relevant nationality enactment” means any enactment in—

(a) the British Nationality Act 1981,

(b) the Hong Kong Act 1985,

(c) the Hong Kong (War Wives and Widows) Act 1996,

(d) the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997,

(e) the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, or

(f) an instrument made under any of those Acts.]]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 127A-127R and cross-heading inserted (22.11.2014 for the insertion of ss. 127A, 127G, 127R for specified purposes, 1.6.2015 in so far as not already in force) by Policing and Crime Act 2009 (c. 26), ss. 56(2), 116(1); S.I. 2014/3101, art. 3; S.I. 2015/983, art. 2(2)(a)

F2 Words in s. 127C(2) inserted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 21(2)

F3 S. 127C(5A)-(5F) inserted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 21(3)

F4 S. 127C(6)(aa) inserted (22.11.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(2), Sch. 21 para. 21(2)(a) (with Sch. 21 para. 40); S.I. 2014/3098, art. 2(e)

F5 S. 127C(6A) substituted (22.11.2014) for words by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(2), Sch. 21 para. 21(2)(b) (with Sch. 21 para. 40); S.I. 2014/3098, art. 2(e)

F6 S. 127C(6B) inserted (22.11.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(2), Sch. 21 para. 21(3) (with Sch. 21 para. 40); S.I. 2014/3098, art. 2(e)

F7 S. 127C(8) inserted (22.11.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(2), Sch. 21 para. 21(4) (with Sch. 21 para. 40); S.I. 2014/3098, art. 2(e)