15BMaking freezing orders

15B Making freezing orders

(1) A magistrate must order that a *financial institution not allow a withdrawal from or transaction involving an *account with the institution, except in the manner and circumstances specified in the order, if: (a) an *authorised officer described in paragraph (a), (aa), (b) or (c) of the definition of authorised officer in section 338 applies for the order in accordance with Division 2; and (b) there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the balance of the account: (i) is *proceeds of an *indictable offence, a *foreign indictable offence or an *indictable offence of Commonwealth concern (whether or not the identity of the person who committed the offence is known); or (ii) is wholly or partly an *instrument of a *serious offence; and (c) the magistrate is satisfied that, unless an order is made under this section, there is a risk that the balance of the account will be reduced so that a person will not be deprived of all or some of such proceeds or such an instrument.

Note 1: Paragraphs (a), (aa), (b) and (c) of the definition of authorised officer in section 338 cover certain persons performing functions under this Act for the Australian Federal Police, the National Anti‑Corruption Commission, the Australian Crime Commission and the Immigration and Border Protection Department.

Note 2: The balance of the account may be proceeds of an offence even though the balance is only partly derived from the offence: see section 329.

(2) An order made under subsection (1) covers the balance of the *account from time to time. Order need not be based on commission of particular offence (3) The reasonable grounds referred to in paragraph (1)(b), and the satisfaction referred to in paragraph (1)(c), need not be based on a finding as to the commission of a particular offence.