Section 13

If the authorized officer or police officer is satisfied upon information received that he has reasonable grounds for believing that by reason of delay in obtaining a search warrant, any padi, rice, receptacle, package, conveyance, vessel, book or document or other article used to commit or intended to be used to commit an offence under this Act or any regulation made thereunder is likely to be removed or destroyed, he may enter such land, house or building without a warrant and seize or seal any such padi, rice, receptacle, package, conveyance, vessel, book or document or other article found therein.

It shall be an offence for a person without lawful authority to break, tamper with or damage the seal or remove any such padi, rice, receptacle, package, conveyance, vessel, book or document or other article or to attempt so to do.

All padi and rice in respect of which there has been, or there is reasonable cause to suspect that there has been, committed an offence against this Act or any regulation made thereunder or a breach of any of the provisions of this Act or any regulation made thereunder, or of any restriction or condition subject to or upon which a licence or permit has been granted, together with any receptacle, package, conveyance, vessel or other article, in which the same may have been found or which have been used in connection with the offence or breach, and any book or document which may reasonably be believed to have a bearing on the case, may be seized by the authorized officer or police officer in any place either on land or in territorial waters.

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Act 522

All the padi and rice and the receptacles, packages, conveyances, vessels, books or documents or other articles shall, as soon as is convenient, be delivered into the care of an authorized officer whose duty is to receive the same.

An authorized officer or a police officer who makes a seizure under this Act or any regulation made thereunder shall prepare a list of the things seized and the grounds for the seizure and, forthwith, or as soon as is practicable, deliver a copy signed by him to the offender or owner, or his agents or servants present in the premises and if the premises are unoccupied, such officer shall, wherever possible, post a list of the things seized on the premises.

In this section, “territorial waters” means the “territorial sea” and shall be construed subject to the provisions of the

*Territorial Sea Act 2012 [Act 750].

Power to stop and search conveyance