Powers of entry, search and seizure

Power to board and search vessels and aircraft
16
1
This section applies where—
a
a police or customs officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that there is relevant evidence in or on any vessel or aircraft, and
b
the vessel or aircraft is not a dwelling.
2
The officer may at any time—
a
board the vessel or aircraft;
b
search it for relevant evidence.
3
For the purposes of exercising the power conferred by subsection (2), the officer may require a vessel or aircraft—
a
to stop, or
b
to do anything else that would facilitate the boarding of that or any other vessel or aircraft.
4
A police or customs officer who has boarded a vessel or aircraft may, for the purposes of disembarking from the vessel or aircraft, require that or any other vessel or aircraft—
a
to stop, or
b
to do anything else that would enable the officer to disembark from the vessel or aircraft.
5
A police or customs officer may require any person on board a vessel or aircraft to provide any help and facilities, with respect to matters under that person's control, that the officer considers would facilitate the exercise of a power conferred by this section.
6
The powers conferred by this section may be exercised in any place to which the officer lawfully has access (whether or not it is a place to which the public has access).
7
For provision conferring additional powers on police or customs officers to enter and search vessels and aircraft, see section 17.
S. 16 in force at 6.6.2022 by S.I. 2022/288, reg. 4(c) (with reg. 5)