Singapore legislation
Section 70
Section 70
Summary search
(1)
Any police officer may, under the circumstances mentioned in this section, be authorised in writing by the Commissioner of Police to enter and, if so authorised, may enter any house, shop, warehouse, yard, grounds or other premises in search of stolen property and search and seize and secure any property which he believes to have been stolen in the same manner as he would be authorised to do if he had a warrant and the property seized, if any, corresponded to the property described in the search warrant.
(2)
Whenever any property is seized under this section the person on whose premises it was at the time of seizure or the person from whom it was taken, if other than the person on whose premises it was, shall, unless previously charged with receiving the property knowing it to have been stolen, be summoned before a Magistrate’s Court to account for his possession of the property, and the Court shall make such order respecting the disposal of the property and may award such costs as the justice of the case requires.
(3)
The Commissioner of Police may give such authority as aforesaid in the following cases or either of them:
when the premises to be searched are, or within the preceding 12 months have been, in the occupation of or used by any person who has been convicted of receiving stolen property or of harbouring thieves;
when the premises to be searched are in the occupation of or used by any person who has been convicted of any offence involving fraud or dishonesty and punishable with imprisonment.
(4)
It shall not be necessary for the Commissioner of Police on giving such authority to specify any particular property but he may give the authority if he has reason to believe generally that those premises are being made a receptacle for stolen goods.[69