Customs Act 2015 section 32

Power of arrest

Section 32 grants customs officers the power to arrest a person without a warrant in certain circumstances.

• A customs officer may arrest someone without a warrant if there are reasonable grounds to suspect an offence
• The power applies to offences relating to the improper importation or exportation of goods (section 14) and miscellaneous customs offences (section 15)
• The power also applies where a person assaults or has assaulted a customs officer, as provided for under the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997
• The key threshold is that the officer must have "reasonable grounds to suspect" — not merely a hunch or unfounded belief