Singapore legislation

Section 31

of Passports Act 2007

Section 31

Search and seizure of cancelled Singapore passports, etc.

(1)

Any authorised officer, police officer or customs officer may seize a document if —

(a)

the document is not in the possession or control of any person; and

(b)

the officer suspects on reasonable grounds that the document is a false Singapore passport, a false Singapore travel document or a false foreign travel document, or a document that has been used in the commission of an offence under this Act.

(2)

If —

(a)

any authorised officer, police officer or customs officer suspects on reasonable grounds that a false Singapore passport, a false Singapore travel document or a false foreign travel document, or a document that has been used in the commission of an offence under this Act, is in a container (whether on board any train, vehicle, vessel or aircraft, or in any premises); and

(b)

the container is not in the possession or control of any person,the officer may search the container for the purposes of determining whether the document is inside the container.

(3)

If any authorised officer, police officer or customs officer suspects on reasonable grounds that a false Singapore passport, a false Singapore travel document or a false foreign travel document, or a document that has been used in the commission of an offence under this Act, is in any premises, or in any train, vehicle, vessel or aircraft, the officer may, for the purposes of determining whether the document is inside the premises, train, vehicle, vessel or aircraft —

(a)

without warrant, enter and search the premises, or stop, board and search the train, vehicle, vessel or aircraft in or on which he or she reasonably suspects that such a document is to be found;

(b)

search any person found in such premises, train, vehicle, vessel or aircraft;

(c)

remove by force any obstruction to such entry or search; and

(d)

seize, remove and detain any document mentioned in this subsection found in the premises, train, vehicle, vessel or aircraft.

(4)

For the purpose of exercising his or her power under subsection (2) or (3), an authorised officer, a police officer or a customs officer may, with such assistance as he or she thinks necessary, break open any door, window, lock, fastener, compartment, box, container or any other thing.

(5)

Any search of a person under this section must be conducted by an officer of the same sex as the person.

(6)

Nothing in this section prevents any authorised officer, police officer or customs officer conducting a search of a person from requiring a person to remove any of the person’s clothing.

(7)

In this section —

Definition

“container” includes baggage, a mail receptacle, and any other thing that could be used for the carriage of goods (whether or not designed for that purpose);

Definition

“train” means —

(a)

a railway locomotive, wagon or carriage; or

(b)

a track vehicle or railway maintenance machine, such as a trolley or crane,and includes a part of any of the above;

Definition

“vehicle” means a conveyance that is designed to be propelled or drawn by any means (whether or not capable of being so propelled or drawn), and includes any trailer, bicycle or other pedal‑powered vehicle, but does not include any train;

Definition

“vessel” means any kind of craft used in navigation by sea or water, however propelled or moved, and includes —

(a)

a barge, lighter or other floating vessel;

(b)

an air-cushion vehicle, or other similar craft, used wholly or primarily in navigation by water;

(c)

a vessel engaged in a towing operation or in any dredging, surveying or underwater operations; and

(d)

an installation capable of being attached to the seabed and that is bound for, or is at, a port,and includes a part of any of the above.

Read in full context — Passports Act 2007 →