133Power to detain and search vehicles

133 Power to detain and search vehicles

133 Power to detain and search vehicles

(1) An authorised officer who has reason to believe that there is in or on a vehicle anything connected with an offence under this Act or the regulations may—

(a) stop and detain the vehicle, and

(b) enter and search the vehicle, and

(c) break open and search any container in or on the vehicle that the officer has reason to believe contains any such thing, and

(d) seize anything that the officer has reasonable grounds for believing is connected with an offence under this Act or the regulations or a contravention of a civil penalty provision.

(2) An authorised officer may require the person in charge of the vehicle to take the vehicle to a specified place for the purpose of searching the vehicle if it is not reasonably practicable to carry out the search where the vehicle is stopped.

(3) An authorised officer may only exercise the power under this section of requiring a vehicle to stop if accompanied by a police officer.