Powers of entry, etc., at premises
10.—(1)  An authorised officer may, subject to subsection (2), enter and inspect any relevant premises and do all or any of the following:
(a)to examine any thing or observe any activity conducted in or on the premises, including —
(i)to detain any package, box, container or other thing in or on the premises until any person in charge of the package, box, container or thing has opened it for examination and search;
(ii)to mark, lock, seal or otherwise secure the package, box, container or other thing pending examination and search; and
(iii)if the thing appears to be a small motorised vehicle, to order any person in charge of the vehicle to deliver the vehicle (in that state it is found on the date of the order) for weighing or an inspection by a person and at a time and place specified by the authorised officer;
(b)to search the premises and any thing in or on the premises;
(c)to make a still or moving image or recording of the premises and any thing in or on the premises;
(d)to inspect any document in the premises and take extracts from, or make copies of, any such document;
(e)to take into or onto the premises such equipment and materials as the authorised officer requires for the purpose of exercising powers in relation to the premises;
(f)to operate electronic equipment in or on the premises;
(g)to secure a thing for a period not exceeding 24 hours if the thing is found in or on the premises, where the authorised officer believes on reasonable grounds that —
(i)the thing is evidential material relevant to an offence under this Act; and
(ii)it is necessary to secure the thing in order to prevent it from being concealed, lost or destroyed before a warrant to seize the thing is obtained;
(h)to seize any thing found in or on the premises which the authorised officer reasonably suspects is as described in paragraph (g)(i);
(i)to require any relevant person, or any individual found in or on the relevant premises, to answer any question (to the best of that person’s or individual’s knowledge, information and belief) and to provide any document or information that the authorised officer reasonably requires for any of the purposes of section 9.
(2)  However, an authorised officer is not authorised by subsection (1) —
(a)to enter and search any relevant premises that is a place of accommodation or residence, except —
(i)with the consent of the occupier; or
(ii)under a warrant of a Magistrate’s Court or District Court; or
(b)to seize any thing in or on any relevant premises unless the seizure is made under a warrant of a Magistrate’s Court or District Court, being a thing other than a vehicle or vehicle component mentioned in section 11.
(3)  A warrant mentioned in subsection (2) may be issued if a Magistrate’s Court or District Court is satisfied that it is necessary for the authorised officer to enter any relevant premises, search any relevant premises or seize any thing (as the case may be) for any of the purposes of section 9.
(4)  The power under subsection (1)(f) to operate electronic equipment in or on any relevant premises includes the power —
(a)to use a disk, tape or other storage device that is in or on the premises and can be used with the equipment or in association with the equipment;
(b)to operate electronic equipment in or on the premises to put the relevant data in documentary form and remove the documents so produced from those premises; and
(c)to operate electronic equipment in or on the premises to transfer the relevant data to a disk, tape or other storage device that —
(i)is brought to the premises for the exercise of the power; or
(ii)is in or on the premises and the use of which for that purpose has been agreed in writing by the occupier of the premises,
and to remove the disk, tape or other storage device from those premises.
(5)  The power under subsection (1)(g) to secure any thing which is found during the exercise of enforcement powers in or on any relevant premises includes the power —
(a)to secure the thing by locking it up, placing a guard or any other means; and
(b)to prohibit any person from dealing with such thing.
(6)  The power to require an individual to provide any document or information under subsection (1)(i) includes the power —
(a)to require that individual to provide an explanation of the document or information;
(b)if the document or information is not provided, to require that individual to state, to the best of the individual’s knowledge and belief, where it is; and
(c)if the information is recorded otherwise than in legible form, to require the information to be made available to the authorised officer or the Authority in legible form.
(7)  The Authority is entitled without payment to keep any document or information, or any copy or extract thereof, provided to an authorised officer under subsection (1)(i).
(8)  In this section —
“relevant person” means —
(a)a person to whom an import approval is or was granted under this Act;
(b)an individual who is or was an officer or a representative of a person mentioned in paragraph (a);
(c)an individual who is or was an employee of a person mentioned in paragraph (a); or
(d)a person whom an authorised officer suspects on reasonable grounds is or was an importer of small motorised vehicles, or an agent of such a person;
“relevant premises” means any premises in Singapore that an authorised officer believes on reasonable grounds —
(a)is used for or in connection with —
(i)the import of small motorised vehicles; or
(ii)the storage or supply of small motorised vehicles that are being, or are about to be, or have recently been imported; or
(b)is under the control or management of a relevant person in paragraph (a) or (d) of the definition of “relevant person”.