Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

91.   Power to examine and take account of goods

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    (1)   Without prejudice to any other power conferred by any customs enactment, an officer may examine and take account of any goods—

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      (a)     which have been imported;

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      (b)     which are in a warehouse or a Customs warehouse;

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      (c)     which have been loaded into or unloaded from any vessel or aircraft at any place in Saint Lucia;

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      (d)     which have been entered for exportation or for use as stores;

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      (e)     which have been brought to any place in Saint Lucia for exportation or for use as stores, or for shipment for exportation or for use as stores; or

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      (f)     in respect of which any claim for drawback, allowance, rebate, remission or repayment of duty has been made,

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    and may for that purpose require any container to be opened or unpacked.

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    (2)   Any examination of goods by an officer under subsection (1) shall be made at such time and place as the officer may direct.

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    (3)   Any bringing of goods to a place directed under subsection (2), and their unloading, opening, unpacking, weighing, repacking, bulking, sorting, lotting, marking, numbering, loading, carrying or landing, and any such treatment to the containers in which the goods are kept, for the purpose of and incidental to the examination or for use as stores, or warehousing shall be done, and any facilities or assistance required for such examination shall be provided by or at the expense of the owner of the goods.

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    (4)   If any—

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      (a)     imported goods which an officer has the power under this Act to examine; and

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      (b)     goods, other than imported goods, which an officer has directed to be brought to a place for the purposes of examination,

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    are without the authority of the proper officer, removed from the customs charge before they have been examined, those goods are liable to forfeiture.