78Power to detain and search vehicles or vessels

78 Power to detain and search vehicles or vessels

78 Power to detain and search vehicles or vessels

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

(a) stop and detain the vehicle or vessel, and

(b) enter and search the vehicle or vessel, and

(c) break open and search any container in or on the vehicle or vessel 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.

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